Preface: Reparations for Black Americans is a hot topic due to the significant wealth accumulated from the labor of melanated, aka foundational Black Americans and descendants of enslaved people. Many argue that reparations would improve Black Americans' lives and decrease poverty and crime rates. However, to others the debate is far from one-sided. Opponents raise concerns about determining who should receive reparations, how much they should receive, and how to distribute them fairly. Some argue that holding present-day Americans accountable for past injustices is unfair. The challenge lies in finding a solution that balances the need to address past wrongs with fairness and effectiveness for all parties. In this article, we will examine both sides of the reparations debate and aim to reach a conclusion that puts the issue to rest.

First, let's cover a few key questions, the arguments, and the strength of the arguments on both sides and then conclude with action steps for those who want to make a difference.

What is the debt owed to foundational black Americans?

The debt owed to foundational Black Americans refers to the historical and ongoing systemic injustices and discrimination that Black Americans have faced, which include but are not limited to:

Slavery: Black people were enslaved and treated as property for centuries, enduring brutal and dehumanizing treatment (Loury, 2015).
Jim Crow laws: After the abolition of slavery, Jim Crow laws mandated racial segregation and discrimination against Black people in many areas of life, including education, employment, and housing (Britannica, 2023).
Segregation: In many parts of the world, Black people were and still are subjected to segregation and marginalization, often living in under-resourced and impoverished neighborhoods.
Police brutality: Black people are disproportionately targeted by police violence, leading to many deaths and injuries (Minds K, 2023).
Mass incarceration: The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and Black people are incarcerated at disproportionate rates, often for minor offenses (Smith, 2023).
Economic injustice: Black people have historically been excluded from many economic opportunities and continue to face discrimination in employment and housing, leading to significant economic disparities(Funk C, Parker K, 2018, section: Blacks in STEM majors experience discrimination).
Educational inequality: Black students are likelier to attend underfunded schools and experience lower academic outcomes than their white counterparts (The Education Trust, 2022).
Environmental racism: Black communities are often exposed to environmental hazards such as toxic waste sites and pollution, leading to health problems(Minds K, 2022).
Political disenfranchisement: Exclusion from the political process and voter suppression tactics used today limit Black people's access to the ballot (Basset, 2023).
Stereotyping and discrimination: Black people experience prejudice, racism, and discrimination daily, leading to disparities in health, wealth, and overall quality of life(16 WAPT, 2023).

These injustices have led to significant persistent economic, social, and political disparities.

The debt owed includes but is not limited to, compensation for unpaid labor during slavery, reparations for economic and social injustices, and affirmative action policies that address ongoing discrimination and promote equal opportunity. The idea is that addressing these historical injustices is necessary to create a more equitable and just society for all.

The exact dollar amount can never measure the pain, suffering, and injustice that slavery generated. But for the sake of answering the question.

The Estimate Context - Thomas Craemer

Professor Thomas Craemer utilized traditional and new research methods to study the psychology of race. It was growing up in Germany, where he was perplexed by how a democratic country could become violently racist in a short period. After relocating to the United States, he employed reaction time measures to explore implicit racial attitudes and published several papers based on this research.

Watch the full video below for his perspective on reparations:

The following chart is an estimate by Thomas Craemer (2015), a professor of public policy. Displaying the 1776–1860 value of slave labor in current dollars.


Darity, W., Jr., Mullen, A. K., & Slaughter, M. (2022). The Cumulative Costs of Racism and the Bill for Black Reparations. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 36(2), 99–122. https://doi.org/http://www.aeaweb.org/jep/

The above chart is sourced from a scholarly peer-reviewed academic journal that costs to access. The time of slavery is much older than 1776 - 1860 (84 years), so the scope of what is to be paid is much larger than what is presented.

Let's lowball the 860.2 trillion dollars, at 6% interest compounding, divided by 40 million dollars. We would get $21.05 billion per foundational black Americans or American descendants of enslaved people.

Conservative Estimate

Looking at the above chart on the right-hand side, if you add all numbers in the right hand column at 6% we reach a total of $7,970.905 trillion. The percentages according to Darity (2022) " Craemer uses a 3 percent interest rate to estimate the bill for outstanding wages projected up through 2009."(p. 4, para 1.)

Taking the average from compound interest at 3% in column number one would be $3.96 trillion. Averaging a total number from the second column of 6%, the average would be $1,328.484 trillion.

Let's stay with a higher percentage considering the small sample size of the estimate is based on the lower end of the scale. If we divide $1,328.48 by the total of foundational black Americans in 2021, which would be around 40 million. The total payout for each F.B.A. or African would be $33 Billion.

Remember that Thomas's estimate does not consider the inter-generational psychological trauma and period after the Civil War(1865), which included over 100 white massacres of American slaves.

Even on the low side, 500 million per person wouldn't be a ridiculous number to throw out there. However, you cannot measure the Holocaust melanated people went through and the ongoing oppression of red-lining, gentrification, discrimination, jim crow laws, mass incarceration, and the break up of the black family structure.

On the low side, if we take the number
of black people (72%) lynched which is 3,446 (NAACP, 2022), 34,460 people were affected if each lynching victim had ten family members. These are one of the hidden statistics that many do not acknowledge (Merrefield, 2021).

"Reparations would be a start in the right direction, at the bare minimum."-Kemeticminds

Other Ideas For Reparations

Let's go even lower in the bare minimum reparations; here are a few basic things that would help alleviate some of the societal problems black people are facing in America:

Deleting debt for American descendants of enslaved people.
School grants
Free family rehabilitation services
Free mental health benefits
Free health benefits
A living wage stipend (average income of an American family).
Benefits for married black families.
Tax-free land that no one is using.
A free car under $50,000 with all expenses paid until that person passes.
Entrepreneurial stipend to start a business and sustain it.
Job opportunities and on-the-job training that leads to jobs (No guessing if you get the job!).
Free pre-college preparation if the college of choice does not allow you in.
Emergency stipend for those facing hardships and can prove it.

Who Will Pay?

William Darity and Kirsten Mullen, authors of "from here to equality," mentioned the following on reparations for black Americans and descendants of slaves in the twenty-first century (CNBC, 2023).

Answer one: Government

Slavery was a major issue in the United States for many years, and the government's involvement in this practice was significant. From the very beginning of the nation's history, the federal government played a role in the slave trade, and it was not until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1865 that slavery was officially abolished.

However, even after the abolition of slavery, the government continued to support discrimination against African Americans through laws such as Jim Crow laws and segregation policies. As historian Eric Foner notes, "the government played a major role in creating, supporting, and perpetuating slavery, and then in creating, supporting, and perpetuating its successors, racial segregation and discrimination" (Foner, 2010, p. 3). This citation underscores the government's active involvement in perpetuating the system of slavery and the ongoing impact it had on the lives of African Americans in the United States.

Did The Black Codes End?

The Black Codes, also known as the Black Laws, was a set of laws regulating African Americans' behavior and rights, including those who were free or had been freed. In 1832, James Kent noted a clear distinction in political privileges between free white individuals and free people of African descent in most parts of the United States (Admin, 2022). African Americans did not have equal participation in civil and political rights compared to white individuals in any region of the country.

While Black Codes existed before the Civil War and were present in some Northern states, the Southern states implemented and formalized these laws as part of their daily practices. The most well-known Black Codes were enacted by Southern states in 1865 and 1866, following the Civil War, to limit the freedom of African Americans and force them to work for minimal or no wages.

One can argue that black codes never ended, with black Americans being disproportionately pulled over by the police and imprisoned (Horn, n.d.).

When you see police lights flashing behind you, most people have the same reaction of pulling over and waiting for the officer. However, what happens next can be a different experience for everyone, according to Kelsey Shoub, an assistant professor of political science at the University of South Carolina and one of the authors of a book called "Suspect Citizens: What 20 Million Traffic Stops Tell Us About Policing and Race."

The book delves into the extensive data collected over 14 years of traffic stops in North Carolina until 2016. The state's legislature required the collection of statistics on routine traffic stops, including information about the race, age, and gender of drivers, as well as the outcomes of the stops. The aim was to investigate and confirm or refute the widespread belief that drivers are treated differently based on their race. These findings are particularly relevant given the ongoing civil unrest surrounding negative interactions between the police and African Americans.

According to Shoub, there are several key findings from the data that stand out. The first is that the phenomenon of "driving while black" is pervasive and not limited to North Carolina or the Southern region—it is a nationwide issue. The second important observation is that it seems to be more of a systemic problem rather than the actions of just a few "bad apple" officers engaging in racial profiling.

The analysis of the North Carolina dataset by Shoub and her colleagues reveals significant findings. Despite driving less overall, black drivers were 63 percent more likely to be stopped. When accounting for less time spent on the road, black drivers were approximately 95 percent more likely to be stopped.

Additionally, black drivers were 115 percent more likely than white drivers to be subjected to a search during a traffic stop. However, searches of white drivers were more likely to yield contraband.

So many arguments focus on just the slavery era, but there is data in 2022 that shows the disparity in policing in the modern era (Contacts Between Police and the Public, 2020 | Bureau of Justice Statistics, n.d.-b).

Contacts Between Police and the Public, 2020 | Bureau of Justice Statistics. (n.d.-b). Bureau of Justice Statistics. https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/contacts-between-police-and-public-2020

Answer two: Corporations

Many of the corporations involved in slavery are still operating. The video goes over just a few corporations (Willie, D, 2019).

The use of black slavery in the United States has had a long and complex history, and many corporations have benefited from this system. During slavery, companies involved in agriculture, manufacturing, and shipping relied heavily on the labor of enslaved African Americans. These companies included cotton plantations, sugar plantations, and tobacco farms.

Cotton was one of the most profitable crops in the antebellum South, and plantations relied heavily on the labor of enslaved people to cultivate and harvest the crop. Cotton mills in the North and Europe also benefited from slavery, as they purchased raw cotton from the South to produce textiles.

In addition to agriculture, other industries also relied on slavery. For example, the tobacco industry in Virginia and Maryland was heavily reliant on enslaved labor, and many factories in the North used cotton produced by enslaved people to make cloth and clothing.

The shipping industry also benefited from slavery, as many slave traders made fortunes transporting enslaved people from Africa to the Americas.

During Reconstruction, which followed the Civil War, some corporations continued to benefit from exploiting African American labor. In many cases, former enslavers shifted their business models to exploit new opportunities, such as sharecropping.

Under this system, farmers were given land and supplies in exchange for a share of the crops they produced. However, the terms of these agreements often left sharecroppers in debt and effectively tied to the land, with few opportunities to escape poverty. One example of a corporation that benefited from slavery and Reconstruction was the Southern Pacific Railroad.

Wells Fargo acquired Wachovia bank in 2008 which was linked to slavery and formerly apologized (Wachovia Is Now Wells Fargo - Wells Fargo, n.d.).

JPMorgan Chase & Co. admitted to profiting from the enslavement of African people in the mid-1800s through two Louisiana-based banks that later merged into the company. These banks allowed enslavers to use enslaved Black individuals as loan collateral, ultimately resulting in the banks owning enslaved people when loans went unpaid. Approximately 13,000 enslaved Africans were involved, and the banks acquired ownership of 1,250 Black individuals (Teather, 2017). JPMorgan Chase apologized for the role played by the predecessor banks, following the requirements of Chicago's "Slavery Era Disclosure Ordinance." Non-compliance with the ordinance could lead to the loss of financial contracts. The bank's research did not find evidence supporting claims of involvement in slave-related insurance.

Carrillo, K. J. (2005, January 27). JPMorgan Chase admits it profited from slavery. New York Amsterdam News, 96(5), 6–40.

The Guardian linked to chase banks website and the link is no longer active:

Here is a long list of other banking institutions linked to American slavery (Manoukian, 2023).

Answer three: Those who still benefit from slavery (2022 / 2023)

Here is an Airbnb property owner benefiting from the plantation house he purchased as a well-to-do lawyer (CBS Mornings, 2015). Consider the generations of stable family life and discipline it takes to become a lawyer.

6:01 time stamp, he states, "You really can't do anything about it," but there actually is. How about the proceeds from your multi-million dollar enterprise benefit black families in 2023?

Whitney Plantation Website https://www.whitneyplantation.org/

There were 2.8 million views on the video; if just 10% of people visited this plantation, that would mean 280,000 people seen in the past year, which would be well over 8 million dollars ($29.17 For one adult) to the business along with profits for whoever else stays in the nearby hotels/Airbnb company.

Did you know?

"From the 1920s to today, the percentage of Black land owners steadily dropped from 14% to only 1.3% across the nation." ( Broader R, 2021, para. 4).

Who is entitled to reparation?

Foundational black Americans.
American descendants of freedman / enslaved people.

Arguments against Reparations - #1 - Your Status As A Black American

The following peer review is not to throw a negative light on the work of Reel Nagas; this is not attack content. There is value in the information that he provides. However, we are looking at a specific topic of reparations.

The Goddess Ma'At As A Melanated Wombman

This special report will cover three counter-arguments to the primary premise.

Premise 1 (In-Valid): Black people must declare their nationality to receive a rightful inheritance.

Premise 2 (In-Valid): Modern reparations idea comes from field order 15 General William Sherman.

Beginning at the time stamp 35:35 of the video above, the words "Black is not a nationality" and "African American" are not recognized by the law.

Conclusion : Declaring your status is needed when challenging the U.S. corporate government for your rightful inheritance, not reparations.

The author of the video Reel Nagas (2022), states, "The idea of modern reparations for so-called blacks in America comes from field order 15 of general Sherman at the end of the civil war. Promising 40 acres and mule to the freed slaves of the south."

Counter Argument To #1st Premise

Premise 1: The premise is weak; the evidence of not having to change status is by a woman named Belinda Scott, who was not a foundational black American. But from Ghana and was paid a reparation (1783) earlier than the Special Field Order date(1865). She received her reparation and did not declare her nationality status.

Therefore, black people do not have to change their nationality to receive reparations. Reparations are a form of compensation intended to address the harm caused by past injustices, such as slavery or systemic racism. Reparations can take many forms, including financial compensation, educational opportunities, and other resources to help address the effects of historical injustices.

Premise 2: For some people, black people will not receive reparations or restitution definitively. That is speaking from a place of absolutes. The only guarantee about the future is that it will change absolutely. The following video covers the change in status from the department of human services.

Premise 3: There are many other examples of reparations paid by America; here is a list of sources showing reparations paid by America (LibGuides: Reparations in the United States: Home, n.d.). The sheer amount of moments where reparations were paid proves that is more than possible for the vast majority of descendants of enslaved people.

If reparations were a far-fetched idea or something that "We are not going to get" or "You ain't getting no F***ing reparations," then explain how the form of reparations was possible already in places such as Evanston, Illinois.

Premise 4: Reparations is a collective idea transcending general field order 15 (Gross, 2017). Until 1968, African Americans were kept from purchasing property even after the Fair Housing Act of April 11th, 1968 (Hud, 1968). That was exactly 54 years and 11 months ago, not even a lifetime ago.

According to Gross (2017), "African-American families that were prohibited from buying homes in the suburbs in the 1940s and '50s and even into the '60s, by the Federal Housing Administration, gained none of the equity appreciation that whites gained "(para. 12).

" Today those homes sell for $300,000 [or] $400,000 at the minimum, six, eight times national median income"(Gross, 2017, section: long-term effects).

Conclusion on the primary argument: The evidence shows that America paid reparations. The origin of the word reparation stems back to the 14th century; according to Etymonline (2023)," late 14c., reparacioun, "repair, act of mending" (p.1).

The 1860 census reveals that black and mulatto were the classification during slavery. If you change your classification status from black to native american, and reparations are paid to black people, you might miss out on the payment.

"Looking cursorily over the returns, it appears that the fifteen slaveholding States contain 12,240,000 inhabitants, of whom 8,039,000 are whites, 251,000 free colored persons, and 3,950,000 are slaves. The actual gain of the whole population in those States, from 1850 to 1860, was 2,627,000, equal to 27.33 per cent."(US Census Bureau, 2021, section 1860a-02.pdf)

Argument #2 -White People Were Slaves! (Valid -Weak Valid Deflection)

One of the tactics used by those who oppose reparations for foundational black Americans is a DARVO tactic, "Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender." (Freyd, 2023).

One of the big arguments made on the internet deflects and detracts without acknowledging the slavery of black Americans. Imagine going to the emergency room and the doctor looking you up and down and telling you that his cousin is in pain, too, and I can't see you!

Slavery impacted the white community; however, the scope and scale of white slavery were vastly different from the transatlantic chattel slave trade of foundational black Americans / descendants of freedman. Not acknowledging the harm during slavery and post-slavery is not a logical conclusion productive to redress.

Grabmeier (2004) states, "Most previously estimated slave counts have thus tended to be in the thousands, or at most in the tens of thousands. Davis, by contrast, has calculated that between 1 million and 1.25 million European Christians were captured and forced to work in North Africa from the 16th to 18th centuries." (p. 1).

The article's second paragraph mentions: "In a new book, Robert Davis, professor of history at Ohio State University, developed a unique methodology to calculate the number of white Christians who were enslaved along Africa's Barbary Coast, arriving at much higher slave population estimates than any previous studies had found." (Grabmeier, 2004)

Notice there is a new methodology but no explanation in the article on how this "unique methodology" was calculated. We have yet to read the book personally, but we will add more updates once we delve deeper.

Counter-argument 1: If you compare the 1860 census record for enslaved Black people (3,950,000), you will notice three times the amount of enslaved Black people compared to Robert Davis's estimate of white enslaved people (1.2 million). Slavery is unsuitable for humans, and the argument fails to acknowledge the foundational black Americans during slavery and systemic poverty policies against black people in the aftermath. (US Census Bureau, 2021, section 1860a-02.pdf)

Counter-argument 2: The idea that white people were enslaved is often used to dismiss or downplay the experiences of enslaved Africans and the systemic racism and discrimination they have faced throughout history and in contemporary society. The adventures of enslaved white people ignore the larger historical and social context of racism and white supremacy that have privileged white people and oppressed others.

Counter-argument 3: The argument focuses on race and places white people in the place of foundational black Americans. Free labor for centuries comes with interest, and if you do not pay your debt in real life, you will be taken to court at some point. So yes, America can continue to use historical deflection tactics. However, it does not remove black slavery or post-slavery policies that still hurt black people today (Bloomberg Quicktake, 2022).

Argument 3 | But Black People Owned Slaves (Valid - Weak Deflection Tactic)

Counter Argument 1: The fact that some black people enslaved people does not negate that most enslaved people in the United States were black and held against their will. Slavery was a system of oppression and exploitation primarily designed to benefit white people, particularly those who owned large plantations and relied on the labor of enslaved people to maintain their wealth and power.

Counter Argument 2: It is also essential to consider the context in which some black people enslaved people. In some cases, black people may have purchased family members or loved ones to protect them from being sold to cruel or abusive enslavers. While this does not justify the ownership of another human being, it highlights how slavery disrupted and destroyed families and communities.

The documented lynchings in the South alone (Equal Justice Initiative, 2020)

Counter Argument 3: Finally, it is worth noting that the fact that some black people enslaved people does not excuse or justify the centuries of violence, exploitation, and discrimination that black people have faced in the United States after slavery. Slavery was a fundamental part of the systemic racism and oppression that has shaped the country's history and continues to impact black communities today (Housing and Civil Enforcement Cases Documents, 2015). Focusing on the actions of a few individuals does not address or challenge the more significant structural issues that perpetuate inequality and injustice.

How many slaves were there in the United States in the U.S. Census 1830?

Hypothetically if you took 12,601 enslaved people in a total of 2,009,050 million, that is approximately 0.63% percent of the total number of enslaved people in 1830. The logic behind this ill-logical argument does not consider all of the other enslaved population.

The argument that black people owned slaves is often presented in historical discussions. However, it's crucial to contextualize this claim within the broader history of slavery, particularly in the early colonial period of the Americas. The history of San Miguel de Gualdape, a Spanish colony established in 1526, provides a counterpoint to this narrative (NorthCarolinaHistory.org, n.d.).

Firstly, the establishment of San Miguel de Gualdape under Lucas Vazquez de Ayllon was part of a broader pattern of European colonization and enslavement. This colony, like many others in the early 1500s, was built on the exploitation of enslaved individuals, predominantly Native Americans initially and later Africans (BlackPast.org, n.d.). The enslaved Africans brought to San Miguel de Gualdape were not slave owners. Still, they were themselves victims of the transatlantic slave trade, forcibly removed from their homelands and subjected to harsh conditions.

Furthermore, the incident at San Miguel de Gualdape, where enslaved Africans rebelled and joined local Native Americans, underscores their resistance against their oppressors rather than their participation in the system of slavery. This event, regarded as the first slave rebellion in North America, highlights the enslaved Africans' desire for freedom and resistance against their subjugation, contrasting sharply with the notion of them being slave owners.

Lastly, the survival and eventual return of only a fraction of the original settlers to Hispaniola by July 1527 illustrates the harsh realities and failures of these early colonial endeavors, which were heavily reliant on slavery. The focus on European and later American slave ownership provides a more accurate reflection of the historical context of slavery, particularly in the early colonization period of the Americas.

Argument 4 - The Country Will Go Broke

Counter Argument 1: The statement assumes that paying reparations to Black people would lead to the country going broke, but this is not necessarily true. There are many different ways in which reparations could be paid, such as through tax incentives, targeted investments in education and housing, or direct payments to individuals or families. Moreover, the economic benefits of closing the racial wealth gap and addressing systemic inequality outweigh the costs of reparations over the long term (Brown University, 2016).

Counter Argument 2: The statement ignores the fact that the United States has a history of providing reparations to other groups. For example, Japanese Americans interned during World War II received reparations through monetary payments and an official apology from the government. Similarly, Native American tribes have received financial compensation for land that was taken from them (LibGuides: Reparations in the United States: Home, n.d.). Therefore, it is common for the U.S. government to provide reparations to groups that have been wronged. how about groups that have not been wrong who recieve tax payer support? (PIX11 News, 2023).

Counter Argument 3: The statement also overlooks the moral imperative of reparations. Black Americans have endured centuries of slavery, segregation, and systemic racism that have profoundly impacted their lives and communities. Providing reparations is not only a matter of rectifying past wrongs but also of acknowledging and addressing ongoing injustices (Kmtcminds, 2023). Failing to give reparations would be a failure to live up to the ideals of equality, liberty, and justice for all that is supposed to be the foundation of American society.

Argument 5 - Black People Are No Longer Slaves (Weak Deflection)

This argument ignores the legacy of slavery and its ongoing impact on black communities.

Counter Argument 1: An article entitled : "Research Shows Black Drivers More Likely to Be Stopped by Police" by Shroff (2023) mentioned " that in a dataset of nearly 100 million traffic stops across the United States, black drivers were about 20 percent more likely to be stopped than white drivers relative to their share of the residential population" (para, 1). Police were previously known as slave patrols of escaped slaves (Ekuonline, 2021).

Counter Argument 2: The gift of slavery includes continued racial discrimination, economic inequality, and social marginalization. These issues continue to affect the lives of black Americans today, making it difficult for them to achieve equal opportunities and access to resources. "Black people wrongfully convicted of murder also spent longer in prison before being exonerated than their white counterparts. Of the 75 innocent death-row defendants who spent 30 years or longer in prison before being exonerated, 67% are Black" (Center, 2022, para. 6).

Counter Argument 3: The fact that black people are no longer enslaved does not mean they have received adequate compensation for the injustices they faced under slavery, Jim Crow and reconstruction. Slavery was a system that denied black people their fundamental human rights and subjected them to brutal violence and exploitation. Slavery was abolished more than a century ago; there has been no comprehensive effort to address the harm done to black communities through reparations or other restitution (Democracy Now!, 2018).

Counter Argument 4: The argument ignores that black people face systemic racism and discrimination which continues to exist in the United States. Black people are still disproportionately affected by poverty, unemployment, and incarceration, among other social and economic issues (Kmtcminds, 2023). These disparities are not simply the result of individual choices or behaviors but are the product of structural inequalities rooted in the legacy of slavery and ongoing racial discrimination.

Argument 6 What About The Non-Blacks Who Live In Poverty

Counter-argument based on data: While poverty affects individuals from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, statistics show that poverty disproportionately impacts Black people. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2019, the poverty rate for Black individuals was 18.8%, while for non-Hispanic Whites, it was 7.3% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021). Therefore, it is not that the focus is only on Black people but that they are more likely to experience poverty than other racial and ethnic groups.

Counter-argument based on historical fact: Enslaved for centuries, faced Jim Crow laws, redlining, and institutionalized discrimination. The wealth gap between Black and White households, with Black families having just one-tenth of the wealth of White households. Therefore, addressing poverty in Black communities as part of addressing historical inequalities is essential (A History of Racial Injustice Archives, n.d.).

Counter-argument based on a scholarly source: A study by sociologists Patrick Sharkey and Gerard Torrats-Espinosa found that neighborhoods with a high concentration of Black residents have lower rates of upward mobility, meaning that individuals who grow up in these neighborhoods are not likely to move up the income ladder compared to those who grow up in more diverse or White areas (Sharkey et al., 2017).

Therefore, poverty in Black communities is not simply an issue of individual choices or personal responsibility but structural and systemic factors, such as residential segregation and lack of access to quality education and job opportunities. It is necessary to address these factors to reduce poverty in Black communities.

Counter-argument from professionals in their field of study: Drawing on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the study period saw a continued occurrence of excess deaths and potential years of life lost. This period began with some improvements, but later experienced a halt in progress and a significant decline in 2020. During this time, the Black population experienced 1.63 million excess deaths, which equated to over 80 million years of potential life lost (Caraballo, 2023). Others who live in poverty should be addressed; however, others in poverty are not experiencing 1.63 million excess deaths. We have a full blown emergency here.

Credentials of those who performed the study:

¹Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut
²Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
³University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine, Worcester
⁴Department of Health Policy and Management, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
⁵Zing Health, Chicago, Illinois
⁶Department of Human Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
⁷Lukan Group, Randallstown, Maryland
⁸Equity Research and Innovation Center, Section of General Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
⁹Cardiovascular Research Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
¹⁰Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
¹¹Division of Cardiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
¹²Deputy Editor, JAMA Cardiology
¹³Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Argument 7 The First Slaveowner Was a Black Man

To: Governor Newsom and the special California Reparations Committee.
While I am not on your elite panel below is the ONLY proposal you should arrive at!@GavinNewsom
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/AqzJ8qIVrx
— 🇺🇸𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫🇮🇹 (@Godfatherparte2) April 23, 2023

Argument 1 based on data: According to historical records, the first Africans to be brought to the Americas as enslaved people arrived in Virginia in 1619. It is well documented that these individuals were purchased by English colonists and forced into servitude (The 1619 Landing — Virginia’s First Africans Report & FAQs | Hampton, VA - Official Website, n.d.). Therefore, it is doubtful that a black man could have been the first enslaver, given that European powers controlled the transatlantic slave trade for several centuries.

Argument 2 based on historical fact: The institution of slavery existed long before the arrival of Europeans in Africa. However, the nature of African slavery was quite different from the chattel slavery that developed in the Americas. In most African societies, enslaved people were considered family members and had certain rights and protections. Therefore, it is inaccurate to equate African slavery with the type of slavery that developed in the New World.

Argument 3 based on a scholarly source: The claim that the first enslaver was a black man is not supported by any credible historical or literary sources. Most reputable scholars agree that the transatlantic slave trade was an overwhelmingly European enterprise and that most enslavers in the Americas were white. To suggest otherwise is to ignore the overwhelming body of evidence that historians and other experts in the field have amassed.

Furthermore, the portrayal of the transatlantic slave trade as a primarily European venture is substantiated by extensive archival records and eyewitness accounts. These sources consistently highlight the involvement of European traders and colonial powers in the systematic capture, transport, and enslavement of African people.

Argument 8 California Was Not A Slave State

Counter-argument 1 (Based on data):

According to a report by the National Equity Atlas, black residents of California experience disproportionately high rates of poverty, unemployment, and incarceration compared to their white counterparts(Poverty | National Equity Atlas, n.d.). This indicates ongoing disparities in access to resources and opportunities historically rooted in slavery and racism.

Counter-argument 2 (based on historical fact):

While it is true that California was not a slave state, that does not mean that California didn't own slaves (Smith, 2011). Enacted as part of the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was a law passed by Congress on September 18, 1850. This act mandated the return of enslaved people to their owners, even if they had escaped to a free state.

Additionally, it placed the responsibility on the federal government to locate, return, and prosecute ran enslaved people (African American Odyssey: Abolition, Anti-Slavery Movements, and the Rise of the Sectional Controversy (Part 2), n.d.).

Although California was not a slave state, it played a significant role in perpetuating slavery in the United States. During the 19th century, California played a vital role in the transcontinental slave trade, serving as a hub for the trafficking of enslaved people from the American South to other parts of the country. This history underscores the fact that slavery was not just a regional issue but a national one that impacted the lives of black people across the country.

Counter-argument 3 (Based on a scholarly source):

A growing body of scholarly research supports the idea that reparations are needed to address the ongoing impacts of slavery and systemic racism. For example, a recent report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found systemic racism and discrimination have prevented many Black Americans from achieving social and economic success and accumulating wealth, and that reparations could help to address these ongoing disparities (The Far-Reaching Impacts of Racism and Bias, 2020). This suggests that even if California was not a slave state, the broader legacy of slavery and racism has had a lasting impact on black people across the country. Reparations are needed to address these harms.

Argument 9 Black People Are No Longer Affected By Slavery

Counter-argument 1: Data shows that black people have been disproportionately affected by slavery, discrimination, and systemic racism, which has resulted in significant economic and social disadvantages. According to a National Bureau of Economic Research report, black Americans have suffered a persistent income gap, resulting in a loss of $10 to $20 trillion in wealth. Reparations could help to address this wealth gap and provide a measure of justice for past injustices.

The chart below is sourced from a Harvard article in 2021. The massive wealth gap does not show overall wealth progress as a nation, and if we are to empower the future of America, the debt owed must be addressed.

Counter-argument 2: Historical fact shows that black people have been subjected to centuries of exploitation and oppression, beginning with the transatlantic slave trade and continuing through Jim Crow segregation and modern-day systemic racism. These injustices have resulted in intergenerational trauma, and economic disadvantage. Reparations have been provided to address historical inequities, such as payments to Japanese Americans who were interned during World War II and reparations to Holocaust survivors.

Counter-argument 3: A scholarly source, such as the book "From Here to Equality" by William A. Darity Jr. and A. Kirsten Mullen, argues that reparations are necessary to address the ongoing effects of slavery and systemic racism. The authors say reparations are about compensating for past wrongs and addressing continuing discrimination and inequality. They propose a plan for reparations that includes direct payments, investments in education and housing, and community development projects. The program is based on extensive research and analysis and provides a framework for implementing reparations fairly and effectively.

The video below covers the 13th Amendment clause, section one that has continued a modern form of slavery (National Archives, 202
0).

The Great Griot. (2016, June 8). Did the 13TH AMENDMENT Really End Slavery?? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD8IckXCdSk

Argument 10 - The Slave Owners Were Already Paid Reparations

Argument 1 (based on data): According to data from the National Archives, the United States government paid enslavers approximately $300 per enslaved person in the District of Columbia as part of the Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862. However, this one-time payment only applied to the District of Columbia and did not compensate enslavers in other parts of the country (National Archives, n.d.).

Argument 2 (based on historical fact): The payment made to enslavers under the Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862 was not reparations for slavery. Instead, it was a strategic move by the Union to weaken the Confederate war effort by depriving them of labor. President Lincoln stated that the Act was not intended as compensation for property loss (Homestead Act, n.d).

Argument 3 (based on a scholarly source): In his book "From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century," economist and author Dr. William Darity argues that the payments made to enslavers under the Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862 were not actual reparations, as they did not provide any compensation to the enslaved individuals who had been forced to work without pay for generations. Furthermore, Dr. Darity argues that reparations should be focused on addressing the ongoing economic and social disparities Black Americans face rather than attempting to rectify historical injustices through symbolic gestures (Darity & Mullen, 2022).

Argument 11 - The Government Absolved Reparations

Counter-Argument 1 (based on data): Reparations are still relevant today, as racial wealth disparities persist in the United States. According to a report by the Institute for Policy Studies, the median wealth of white households is 86 times that of Black families (Collins et al., 2017. para ). This persistent gap directly results from historical injustices, including slavery and Jim Crow laws, and the institutional failure to address them through reparations. Therefore, absolving the issue of reparations perpetuates this wealth gap and exacerbates racial inequality.

Counter-Argument 2 (based on historical fact): The government has previously acknowledged its responsibility for reparations in other contexts. For example, the United States government paid reparations to Japanese Americans interned during World War II. This precedent shows that the government has the ability and responsibility to address past injustices through reparations. Therefore, absolving reparations for Black Americans is inconsistent with the government's history.

Counter-Argument 3 (based on a scholarly source): According to Ta-Nehisi Coates in his influential essay "The Case for Reparations," reparations are necessary to address the ongoing harm caused by past injustices (Coates, 2024. para. 6). Coates argues that the legacy of slavery, Jim Crow laws, and discriminatory housing policies has created systemic inequality that cannot be addressed solely through individual efforts.

He cites historical examples of successful reparations programs in other countries, such as Germany's payments to Jewish Holocaust survivors. Therefore, absolving reparations ignores the scholarly research and evidence supporting their need to address past injustices.

Argument 12 White People Died To End Slavery So Get Over It

Counter-argument based on data: While it is historically accurate that many white individuals, including soldiers and abolitionists, played roles in the fight against slavery, this narrative can overshadow the pivotal role of enslaved black Americans themselves. The notion that the end of slavery was primarily due to white sacrifice does not account for the long history of resistance by enslaved individuals. As Franklin and Moss (2000) note in "From Slavery to Freedom," enslaved black americans and their descendants were the primary agents of their liberation, frequently engaging in acts of defiance and rebellion.

These actions, along with the political pressure exerted by free Black Americans, were crucial in turning public opinion against slavery and ultimately contributed to its abolition. To credit the end of slavery solely to the sacrifices of white individuals is to ignore the agency, bravery, and impact of the enslaved people who fought relentlessly for their freedom and the freedom of their descendants (Franklin & Moss, 2000).

Counter-argument based on historical fact: The assertion that all white individuals in history were aligned against slavery is an oversimplification that overlooks the nuanced reality of the era. Indeed, many white people actively fought to preserve the institution of slavery. The Confederate soldiers, predominantly white, fought in the American Civil War with the primary aim of defending slavery. McPherson (1988), in "Battle Cry of Freedom," explains that the Confederacy was explicitly established to protect and perpetuate the institution of slavery.

Furthermore, the experiences of white abolitionists underscore the divided sentiments among white Americans regarding slavery. Notably, figures like William Lloyd Garrison faced significant hostility and danger for their anti-slavery stance, as documented by Mayer (1998) in "All on Fire: William Lloyd Garrison and the Abolition of Slavery." These examples highlight that the historical context of white involvement in the abolition of slavery was complex and varied, with significant segments actively supporting the continuation of slavery.

Counter-argument based on a scholarly source: According to historian David Blight, the idea that white people were the primary force behind the abolition of slavery is a myth. In his book "Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory," Blight argues that white Americans created a "Lost Cause" mythology after the Civil War that emphasized the heroism of white soldiers and minimized the role of black Americans in their liberation (The Civil War in American Memory (U.S. National Park Service), n.d.). This mythology, he argues, has persisted to this day and continues to shape how many Americans view the history of slavery and emancipation.

II. The Case for Reparations Tariq Nasheed & F.B.A.

According to Tariq Nasheed (2023), Foundational Black Americans are descendants of enslaved Black people who survived American slavery and helped build the United States. Their history began in 1526 when enslaved Black people were brought over by Spanish colonizers and launched a successful revolt, joining local Native American society.

So the main argument is that black Americans built America from the ground up from scratch, which is a fact(Banerjee & Johnson, 2023).

The enslaved labor was essential to the development of the American economy, and the wealth generated by this forced labor was used to build the country's infrastructure and finance its growth.

After the abolition of slavery in the United States in 1863, Black people were still denied fundamental rights and opportunities through a system of discriminatory laws and practices known as Jim Crow.

These laws, which were in effect until the 1960s, enforced racial segregation and discrimination in housing, education, and employment.

These laws, which were in effect until the 1960s, enforced racial segregation and discrimination in housing, education, and employment. Even after the Civil Rights Movement and the passage of laws designed to protect the rights of Black people, discrimination has continued in many forms, such as redlining, police brutality, and mass incarceration.

This systemic racism has had a profound and lasting impact on the Black community.

Black people have been denied access to education, healthcare, and other basic necessities and have been subjected to violence and discrimination at the hands of the state and private individuals.

This has resulted in the Black community facing a wide range of economic and social disadvantages, such as poverty, unemployment, and lack of access to credit, which continues to this day. This historical context is the foundation for the case for reparations for Black people, as it is necessary to address the harm that has been done due to centuries of slavery and discrimination.

As highlighted in our previous article, 1968 poverty still affects black people in 2023. Reparations would represent the great equalizer and repair for the black community in every way possible.

Action Steps To Reparations For Foundational Black Americans

Reparations for descendants of enslaved people in the United States is really as simple as cutting the check! While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, here are some action steps that could be taken to address this issue. Keep in mind that these are general guidelines and would require detailed policy development and legislative action.

Action Steps

Establish a Commission on Reparations: Form a government-appointed or independent commission with experts, scholars, and community leaders to study reparations.
Research and Documentation: Conduct in-depth historical and economic analyses to document the impacts of slavery and discrimination.
Define Eligibility and Calculate Reparations: Set clear criteria for eligibility and develop a method for calculating reparations based on historical and contemporary disparities.
Legal Framework and Policy Development: Develop detailed policies and legal frameworks for reparations distribution, including various forms like monetary, educational grants, and housing assistance.
Identify Funding Sources and Model Implementation: Determine funding sources (government funds, taxes, private donations) and pilot targeted programs based on successful models like Evanston's strategy.
Public Awareness and Support: Implement educational campaigns and engage stakeholders for broad support.
Address Legal and Political Hurdles: Overcome legal, political, and constitutional challenges, aiming for bipartisan support.
Implementation and Oversight: Roll out the reparations program in phases with an oversight committee for transparency and fairness.
Evaluation, Expansion, and Integration: Continuously assess and adjust the program, aiming to scale it up and integrate it into national policy and educational curricula.
Formal Records and Legal Petitions: As exemplified by Belinda Royall in 1783, presenting a well-documented legal petition to a legislative body can be effective. Royall's petition to the Massachusetts General Assembly, requesting a pension from her enslaver’s estate, resulted in a granted pension, demonstrating the power of legal recourse in seeking reparations

Conclusion

The journey toward reparations for foundational Black Americans is one paved with complexities and deep-rooted historical injustices. As we have explored, the debt owed is not only financial but also emotional and societal, spanning from the era of slavery to ongoing systemic discrimination. Addressing this issue is not just about rectifying past wrongs but building a more equitable future for all. The case for reparations is clear, and the time to act is now. Signing petitions and actively participating in this movement can help bring about much-needed change. Please share this information, engage in conversations, and encourage others to get involved in any way possible. Your voice and action are vital in this fight for justice and equality. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider being a part of this vital cause.

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