The United States should consider reparations to African-American descendants

2stepz_ahead
2stepz_ahead Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 32,324 ✭✭✭✭✭
http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2016-01-29/un-working-group-suggests-us-work-on-racial-reconciliation


WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States should consider reparations to African-American descendants of slavery, establish a national human rights commission and publicly acknowledge that the trans-Atlantic slave trade was a crime against humanity, a United Nations working group said Friday.

The U.N. Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent released its preliminary recommendations after more than a week of meetings with black Americans and others from around the country, including Baltimore, Chicago, New York City, the District of Columbia and Jackson, Mississippi.

After finishing their fact-finding mission, the working group was "extremely concerned about the human rights situation of African-Americans," chair Mireille Fanon Mendes-France of France said in the report. "The colonial history, the legacy of enslavement, racial subordination and segregation, racial terrorism and racial inequality in the U.S. remains a serious challenge as there has been no real commitment to reparations and to truth and reconciliation for people of African descent."

For example, Mendes-France compared the recent deaths of unarmed black men like Michael Brown and Eric Garner at the hands of police to the lynchings of black men in the South from the post-Civil War days through the Civil Rights era. Those deaths, and others, have inspired protests around the country under the Black Lives Matter moniker.

"Contemporary police killings and the trauma it creates are reminiscent of the racial terror lynchings in the past," she told reporters. "Impunity for state violence has resulted in the current human rights crisis and must be addressed as a matter of urgency."


Some of the working group's members, none of whom are from the United States, said they were shocked by some of the things they found and were told.

For example, "it's very easy in the United States for African-Americans to be imprisoned, and that was very concerning," said Sabelo Gumedze of South Africa.

Federal officials say 37 percent of the state and federal prison populations were black males in 2014. The working group suggests the U.S. implement several reforms, including reducing the use of mandatory minimum laws, ending racial profiling, ending excessive bail and banning solitary confinement.

"What stands out for me is the lack of acknowledgement of the slave trade," said Ricardo A. Sunga III, who lives in the Philippines.

The working group suggests monuments, markers and memorials be erected in the United States to facilitate dialogue, and "past injustices and crimes against African-Americans need to be addressed with reparatory justice,"

The group will suggest several U.S. changes to improve human rights for African-Americans, which also include establishing a national human rights commission, ratifying international human rights treaties, asking Congress to study slavery and its aftereffects and considering reparations .

The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent was established in 2002 by the then-Commission on Human Rights, following the World Conference against Racism in 2001.

It also visited the United States in 2010, where its final report found similar problems, including blacks facing disproportionately high unemployment, lower income levels, less access to education, "problematic access to quality health-care services and the high incidence of certain health conditions, electoral disenfranchisement and structural issues in the administration of justice (in particular incarceration rates)."


The current panel will give its final findings to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva in September.

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Comments

  • 2stepz_ahead
    2stepz_ahead Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 32,324 ✭✭✭✭✭
    very interesting.

    let's see how the post racial , I didn't do nothing an should pay for what people did long ago white folk do.
  • xxCivicxx
    xxCivicxx Members Posts: 6,927 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I don't think now would be the right time tbh

    When it comes to black people as a whole, our financial IQ is nowhere near where it needs to be for us to actually benefit from any kind of reparations

    That money would go right back to white corporations. Which is why now would probably the perfect time for them to do it
  • Fosheezy
    Fosheezy Members Posts: 3,204 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Not only reparations they shouldn't be allowed to continue to benefit from the crimes of their ancestors either. That mean they need to give back all the stolen T land they have too
  • playmaker88
    playmaker88 Members Posts: 67,905 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2016
    http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/

    Haven't read it myself yet a very in depth case for it.. its in my bookmarks..

    But speaking form myself It should come in the form of Free education,healthcare, no income tax to start . it should be about services and opportunity than straight up cash..
  • xxCivicxx
    xxCivicxx Members Posts: 6,927 ✭✭✭✭✭
    AggyAF wrote: »
    xxCivicxx wrote: »
    I don't think now would be the right time tbh

    When it comes to black people as a whole, our financial IQ is nowhere near where it needs to be for us to actually benefit from any kind of reparations

    That money would go right back to white corporations. Which is why now would probably the perfect time for them to do it

    Reparations doesn't have to nor should it be just a check

    What else would white people willingly give us?
  • D0wn
    D0wn Members Posts: 10,818 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2016
    xxCivicxx wrote: »
    I don't think now would be the right time tbh

    When it comes to black people as a whole, our financial IQ is nowhere near where it needs to be for us to actually benefit from any kind of reparations

    That money would go right back to white corporations. Which is why now would probably the perfect time for them to do it

    If blk ppl got a penny for every time we wrk against our own intrest, we would be gazilliinaires.
    The fact is, there's no such thing as a "right time", Its now or never.
    Ya'll was waiting for the" right time", to ask Obama. 8 years later... That man has 10 months left in office, and y'all still waiting.
  • StillFaggyAF
    StillFaggyAF Members Posts: 40,358 ✭✭✭✭✭
    D0wn wrote: »
    AggyAF wrote: »
    xxCivicxx wrote: »
    I don't think now would be the right time tbh

    When it comes to black people as a whole, our financial IQ is nowhere near where it needs to be for us to actually benefit from any kind of reparations

    That money would go right back to white corporations. Which is why now would probably the perfect time for them to do it

    Reparations doesn't have to nor should it be just a check

    ? thats for u. I want my check.

    since my family aren't descendants of slaves in the US i shouldn't get a check
    xxCivicxx wrote: »
    AggyAF wrote: »
    xxCivicxx wrote: »
    I don't think now would be the right time tbh

    When it comes to black people as a whole, our financial IQ is nowhere near where it needs to be for us to actually benefit from any kind of reparations

    That money would go right back to white corporations. Which is why now would probably the perfect time for them to do it

    Reparations doesn't have to nor should it be just a check

    What else would white people willingly give us?

    I see where we are going here
  • Jabu_Rule
    Jabu_Rule Members Posts: 5,993 ✭✭✭✭✭
    AggyAF wrote: »
    D0wn wrote: »
    AggyAF wrote: »
    xxCivicxx wrote: »
    I don't think now would be the right time tbh

    When it comes to black people as a whole, our financial IQ is nowhere near where it needs to be for us to actually benefit from any kind of reparations

    That money would go right back to white corporations. Which is why now would probably the perfect time for them to do it

    Reparations doesn't have to nor should it be just a check

    ? thats for u. I want my check.

    since my family aren't descendants of slaves in the US i shouldn't get a check

    All blacks were affected by Jim Crow no matter their origin, but American slavery built this country, and that should be the main focus of reparations. Other Nations need to do their part for the people they enslaved. England owes us too.

  • NothingButTheTruth
    NothingButTheTruth Members Posts: 10,850 ✭✭✭✭✭
    xxCivicxx wrote: »
    I don't think now would be the right time tbh

    When it comes to black people as a whole, our financial IQ is nowhere near where it needs to be for us to actually benefit from any kind of reparations

    That money would go right back to white corporations. Which is why now would probably the perfect time for them to do it

    Stop worrying about others and get yourself on first. How would YOU use these hypothetical "reparations" to your benefit should be your concern.

    We need to stop trying to save everyone and concentrate on the ones who can and want to be saved. Help those who help themselves. The masses will never awaken. It's always a small group of people that take command and act accordingly.
  • Rasta.
    Rasta. Members Posts: 9,342 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Reparations in the form of checks/cash is not the way to go
  • D0wn
    D0wn Members Posts: 10,818 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2016
    Rasta. wrote: »
    Reparations in the form of checks/cash is not the way to go

    They should give ? options. The option to have Reparations in a form of a Check, and in other forms.

    As i previously stated. Give me my check baybee.
    Ya can have trust worthy entities like the NAACP, The Local Church, The Goverment, Local State, A special fund that will go missing... ya can do that.


    I ain't no silly slave ass ? , i trust my self ? .
    https://youtu.be/8aShfolR6w8


    I trust my self
  • 2stepz_ahead
    2stepz_ahead Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 32,324 ✭✭✭✭✭
    http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/

    Haven't read it myself yet a very in depth case for it.. its in my bookmarks..

    But speaking form myself It should come in the form of Free education,healthcare, no income tax to start . it should be about services and opportunity than straight up cash..

    let's see how many people become card carrying members like they do with native Americans.

    let's see how they try to make you orove you are black or related to a slave or how you was disenfranchised in order to get anything.
  • 2stepz_ahead
    2stepz_ahead Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 32,324 ✭✭✭✭✭
    or we can just bankrupt the country an all go to africa
  • jetlifebih
    jetlifebih Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 4,655 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Fosheezy wrote: »
    Not only reparations they shouldn't be allowed to continue to benefit from the crimes of their ancestors either. That mean they need to give back all the stolen T land they have too

    And are we going to give it back to the native Americans?
  • kzzl
    kzzl Members Posts: 7,548 ✭✭✭✭✭
    After that ? they pulled with the jews last year, ain't no more excuses. They just hating on us getting reparations, some closure, and their accountability for the debt were owed from them spilling our blood. Other groups have gotten ? for less. And plus the ? was flat out issued to us from jump.

    Had reparations never been offered, had some compensation for inhumane crimes never been given to anyone, if the racism was over, that'd be different. But that's not the case, so the US needs to pay up.

    And blacks need to stop acting like what some other ? does with his money affects what you'll do with yours. Lets them silly ? buy silly ? . If you're smart, you'll be getting some his silly money too.
  • cannonspike1994
    cannonspike1994 Members Posts: 1,509 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Fosheezy wrote: »
    Not only reparations they shouldn't be allowed to continue to benefit from the crimes of their ancestors either. That mean they need to give back all the stolen T land they have too

    And are we going to give it back to the native Americans?
    xxCivicxx wrote: »
    I don't think now would be the right time tbh

    When it comes to black people as a whole, our financial IQ is nowhere near where it needs to be for us to actually benefit from any kind of reparations

    That money would go right back to white corporations. Which is why now would probably the perfect time for them to do it
    xxCivicxx wrote: »
    I don't think now would be the right time tbh

    When it comes to black people as a whole, our financial IQ is nowhere near where it needs to be for us to actually benefit from any kind of reparations

    That money would go right back to white corporations. Which is why now would probably the perfect time for them to do it

    EVERY TIME THERES A DISCUSSION ABOUT REPARATIONS THERES ALWAYS ? ? LIKE YOU THAT SAY THIS ? .
  • D0wn
    D0wn Members Posts: 10,818 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Fosheezy wrote: »
    Not only reparations they shouldn't be allowed to continue to benefit from the crimes of their ancestors either. That mean they need to give back all the stolen T land they have too

    And are we going to give it back to the native Americans?

    What the ? that got to do with African Americans?
  • ineedpussy
    ineedpussy Members Posts: 7,252 ✭✭✭✭✭
    should of gave us our forty acres and a mule and watched blacks dab on these hoes. yeah i want my check first and foremost. also with the check blacks wouldnt have to pay state or federal taxes. free health care and free school. regardless if its private, technical or whatever.
  • jono
    jono Members Posts: 30,280 ✭✭✭✭✭
    A nonstarter. This reparations ? is a pipedream ? continue to hold on to.
  • CeLLaR-DooR
    CeLLaR-DooR Members Posts: 18,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Jabu_Rule wrote: »
    AggyAF wrote: »
    D0wn wrote: »
    AggyAF wrote: »
    xxCivicxx wrote: »
    I don't think now would be the right time tbh

    When it comes to black people as a whole, our financial IQ is nowhere near where it needs to be for us to actually benefit from any kind of reparations

    That money would go right back to white corporations. Which is why now would probably the perfect time for them to do it

    Reparations doesn't have to nor should it be just a check

    ? thats for u. I want my check.

    since my family aren't descendants of slaves in the US i shouldn't get a check

    All blacks were affected by Jim Crow no matter their origin, but American slavery built this country, and that should be the main focus of reparations. Other Nations need to do their part for the people they enslaved. England owes us too.

    Ya dyam right bredrin
  • zzombie
    zzombie Members Posts: 11,280 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If African Americans can get it then ? bless them but on principle I don't really co-sign This kind of ? .
  • jetlifebih
    jetlifebih Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 4,655 ✭✭✭✭✭
    D0wn wrote: »
    Fosheezy wrote: »
    Not only reparations they shouldn't be allowed to continue to benefit from the crimes of their ancestors either. That mean they need to give back all the stolen T land they have too

    And are we going to give it back to the native Americans?

    What the ? that got to do with African Americans?
    The land we live in belongs to the natives just as Africa belongs to us, so if we accept stolen land , that's just as bad as stealing the land ourself, I don't believe that we are owed nothing, but giving us something that isn't theirs or is stolen, that doesn't make things right
  • So ILL
    So ILL Members Posts: 16,507 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If they had just given us our 40 acres and a mule like they were supposed to 150 years ago, we wouldn't be in this mess.