Let me get one thing clear – I will not allow anyone in my circle of influence, particularly my peers, to showcase any form of intellectual dishonesty when it comes to matters of race, particularly when it comes to the reparations debate, without me thoroughly debating & debunking such issues. If we’re going to play the “reparations” game, we are going to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us, God!

First off, the whole idea of reparations hinges on the fact that someone is “owed something” for the grievances that befell them. Sure, coming out of slavery, the black people/families who were once slaves should have indeed been paid for the injustices they were forced to endure, particularly during the Jim Crow era in the South. Had that have been the case, you would have an ardent supporter in me for the case of reparations. However, that is not the case in this day & age as most people from that era are dead and gone. So, the question is, in 2021 – even in the case where black people traced their lineage to slavery but for whom undoubtedly never had to endure actual racial policies post-slavery, and generations upon generations later – should they all receive financial compensation for the sins of the past? I state emphatically, absolutely not. Nor could we make a compelling argument that we are entitled to such things. To initiate such an argument, one must first consider all aspects of such a case. I will delve into a few basic ones for the sake of clarity.

For those who wish to see reparations paid to the descendants of people who were victimized by racism’s ugly past, are you aware of how many European immigrants faced racism upon coming to the United States? Did you know that nearly 50% of Italians who first immigrated to America sailed back home to Italy due to blatant racism hindering them from getting a job (or a decent paying job at that), among enduring other racially motivated persecutions? They would make substantially less than their white counterparts, for which they barely had enough money to feed their families and survive. Routinely targeted by native whites and the Ku Klux Klan, Italian shops were vandalized, and Italians themselves were often brutalized and lynched. So, can we go ahead and give this historically marginalized group some financial compensation since they were also persecuted by whites, or are they excluded from such privileges due to their lighter skin complexion?

Next, what about the Irish? They are well documented within the annals of history receiving much mistreatment despite the similar hue of skin to their white American counterparts. Color of skin be damned, the derogative label of “white negroes” followed the Irish from the UK to America, as did their marginalized treatment, competing against freed black slaves for menial work & low wages. As a result, Irishmen and women would oftentimes clash with blacks in an effort to distinguish themselves from them for the purpose of showing their fair-skinned American brethren they should be treated better than the people they were being compared to. The historic persecution and its effects on generations thereafter, originating from the UK and following them to the US are well documented, so let’s go ahead and give Irish people some reparations as well.

Now for a more controversial example as we assess the merits of reparation payments and to whom they will be available. Unbeknownst to many black people, during the era of the transatlantic slave trade, Europeans simply did not have the manpower or resources to invade Africa and take slaves. So what they did was beseech African tribal leaders who had captured rival tribal enemies (as well as other Africans who didn’t pay their debts) and strike deals with them in an effort to simply buy the prisoners. These African tribesmen were essential to the steady flow of unwilling black victims transported via slave ships to America (around 10-12 million from the 16th on through the 19th century), contributing to a bulk of the slaves in circulation at that time. With that being said, can someone please trace the ancestry of those tribal leaders so we know who we need to collect reparations from in Africa in efforts to fund this “benevolent” cause?

Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, with just a brief overview of a few widely known historical facts, this push for reparations is complete and utter foolishness! Since the beginning of time, there has been war and conquest, resulting in the subjugation or eradication of the conquered faction. Nearly every bit of land in the world is stolen land, by one domineering power or another. Due to that fact, those who were conquered were looked upon as less than, and terrible things befell such people. Black people were not the only oppressed people in the world, and certainly not in America. They enslaved other blacks and sold them to whites – they essentially sold out their fellow Africans for profit. Is it right? No. However, this was the way of the world since the dawn of time. The winners of war would enjoy their spoils, and the losers would be crushed and colonized. To conclude, The United States of America being the only country solely responsible for the ills of slavery is disingenuous at best and downright scandalously slanderous at worst.

Harriet Tubman 20 dollar bill Credit: Bureau of Engraving and Printing

White people don’t owe minorities diddly squat. From a tribute of Harriet Tubman on a 20 dollar bill to batches of 20 dollars inserted into a bank account, the need to “right the wrongs of the past” is nothing more than a white liberal’s “white savior complex” at work, and a black liberal’s desire for more unwarranted free money (as if welfare is not enough). Moreover, this ridiculous push for white guilt and shame is a scam. According to the Bible, (Ez. 18:20) the sins of the father are not the sins of the son and vice versa. If I took responsibility for every evil thing done by the people who make up my lineage, I would be bearing a burden that could not and was not meant to be borne.

Therefore, let us put this idea of reparations out of our minds, and let us begin the healing process by leaving the past in the past. Let’s forgive those who did others wrong in the past and move on from that very past into a brighter new day, free from malice or anger.