Reparation must be a global undertaking
History is an uncomfortable subject to those who know the wrongdoings, which are wrapped in the books of history. On the contrary, history is a beautiful resource to those who value information that they know can change the status quo. Both groups of people are being told of historical lessons with different interpretations, but eventually there is a collide.
People of African descent face(d) slavery and colonialism under the control of European slave-traders. Many tribes had some communication with Europeans, but Europe’s destruction of African culture, identity, and livelihood became a habit. The utter economic entanglement of African people has been an intentional goal by Europeans to keep them in complete subservience. The strategic damaging of the family as a result of unfair economic laws’ continues and black people are still working to remedy this injustice. The poverty-stricken layouts of many African-American neighborhoods are not from personal choices, but rather they are connected to a historical plan that is still in place. This is connected to the same Eurocentric strategy that inspired slavery and colonialism; thus, creating the divisive racial relationship between Europeans and their counterparts.
The late, Dr. John Henrik Clarke, once said that, “It’s time for Black people to stop playing the separating game of geography, of where the slave ship put us down. We must concentrate on where the slave ship picked us up.” Clarke’s quote talks about the two worlds on the different ships, which once sailed through the Atlantic Passage to bring slaves from west-Africa. The oppressor-oppressed world where the oppressor’s presence of Europe forced African families into an oppressed status in western civilization. This important piece of information is vital as the talk of reparations enters the table. Reparation is due but there must be a global plan to how this should happen.
Reparations must happen for African people; because their entire history with Europeans is one that shows Africans offering friendship and resources, but Europeans tricking them into subservience. The long history that is in told in the history books-both explicitly and implicitly- is enough evidence that shows the disastrous relationship that started with western European countries and continued into North America. The theme of ruining the economic livelihood of black people to keep them oppressed did not dissipate, and the descendants of slave-owners continue to ensure that the concept remains active.
Recently, the islands in the Caribbean petitioned Great Britain for reparations. Great Britain’s responded by sending someone of Indian descent to the Caribbean to placate the situation. No solution has yet to come. African-Americans are ignored in their quests to repair the damage that white-supremacy has caused them. The question is, what is the best reparation for black people?
The two systems of capitalism and racism work collaboratively and have created the social problems, which are still prevalent in the lives of African people. We know that racism is a behavioral problem on Europeans part that cannot be remedied by others. It is their problem if communicating amicably and lovingly with others creates internal hatred so deep that it once led to the lynching of African-Americans. Unfortunately, the money that is needed to pay rent, to take a vacation, and to live a balanced life is their hands. A recent article by the Washington Post explained the obvious reality of median income between black and white families. In 2016, the black household had $13,024 while white families had $149,703, and this was compared to the households of both races in 1968 where black families only had $6, 674 while white families had $70, 786 in their households.
The system of capitalism that did not start in Europe, but it is strongly favored by Europeans. It is a power mechanism that is the driving force behind mass incarcerations, job instability, and lack of educational resources for marginalized people. That system was also the cause of the global slave trade that disconnected African people from their domains to be programmed to exist in anti-African environments. Capitalism is still destroying Africa’s resources and subjecting a continent’s population to confusing poverty. Everywhere the black person resides; there is the presence of deprivation and instability and the cause is venture-capitalism. Still, black people are resilient with a strong sense of spirituality and that remains their defense to the injustices, which are targeting them.
The system of capitalism does not meet the needs of humanity. It certainly is not a benefit for black people. Its principles are destructive and restrictive, and African people understand these adjectives very well because of their lives under capitalism. Money cannot cure the problems of black people since those problems are multi-layered and present problems beyond attaining money to fix their neighborhoods. The removal of their African identities to assimilate into European ideologies’ is the greatest form of inequality, and a monetary reparation cannot solve that problem.
The way forward not only for African people but marginalized groups is the elimination of capitalism, and the bearers of ensuring that this happens are African people in the diaspora. They hold the knowledge of truth that their oppressors work diligently and creatively to embellish and eradicate. Even though many of them receive the soft version of the magnitude of European imperialism in school; black people know the truth from the stories which are told to us by the elders.
African people are told to integrate with Europeans to create a more equal world, but it is not African people who need the lecture in integration. Besides, there is no gain for African people to integrate because the rule-of-law that destroys their families is still in place, the educational system that is teaching Euro-languages and concepts’ is still happening, and the principles of capitalism that places black people at the lowest economic spectrum are still active. The past and present experiences of African-Americans under capitalism are enfolded with harsh economic realities while their white counterparts are gaining handsomely. Consequently, Europeans have been setting the rules for what normality should look like for others. This mayhem has caused insuperable damage to the lives of a marginalized people and the future of black children should not continue to be saturated with the same chaos of the past. Black people have the knowledge and experience to foster a new destiny- not only for future black children but for all children on a whole. Racism and capitalism cannot be the choices of the future. Frankly speaking, both have caused enough death and destruction in the lives of non-European families.
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