Advantages And Disadvantages Of Reparations To African Americans

Overtime America has created a debt to a group of people who we have continued to discriminate and mistreat. As a nation we have mistreated African Americans by morally wronging and discriminating them, and for this owe them some form of reparation. The wealth this nation was built on was earned unjustly, and the wealth whites have earned through slavery has compounded, putting them at an unfair advantage over African Americans. Even after slavery was abolished, segregation put African Americans at a disadvantage by denying them good education, work, religion, and other important aspects of success in life. The U.S. should pay reparations to African Americans because of the damage we have done to their race through racism and oppression.

Some of the greatest damages white Americans have caused African Americans were due to slavery. One of the devastating affects of slavery was the tragic loss of African culture that

slavery caused. Randall Robinson talked much about this subject, and referenced the loss of the African language and vast cultural loss. He said slavery “ asphyxiated memory, and smothered culture, has hulled an empty race of people.” We caused this cultural loss and all strictly for our own personal gain with no concern for the depth of harm we were inflicting on these people.
Slavery also gave disadvantages to African Americans because of the gap created over the years between whites and blacks. During slavery, whites used slaves unjustly to personally gain, and slaves received none of these profits. When blacks were released from slavery, whites had great wealth that they had to continue their lives while the now-free African Americans had absolutely nothing to start their new lives with. Over the years, this gap grew; wealthy white people became wealthier, and African Americans continued to be extremely poor and often unemployed. This injustice was caused by the unfairness of slavery and is a strong reason supporting reparations towards African Americans.
The injustices and disadvantages Africans Americans had were not all caused by slavery.

In fact, many of the main disadvantages they received were due to discrimination, segregation, and racism after slavery ceased. Because of strong prejudices towards black people, they often had great difficulty acquiring jobs, receiving education, and being allowed in good churches for religious practice. This resulted in a lower standard of living and more difficulty to prosper for African Americans. In SCOTUS from 1978 this problem is directly addressed. “Separation of school children by race ‘generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely to ever be undone.’” This states the extreme harm separation causes to children. It later goes on to talk about the severe racism African Americans receive, and how it is stronger than towards any other race in America. Because of these distinct wrong-doings and damages, many democratic parties would believe that reparations are very

necessary.
Libertarians and utilitarians are two democratic groups who would choose to support my side. Libertarians would support my side because they have strict rules on an individual's personal wealth. Because the wealth that whites received was earned using not only their own personal resources, but also the slaves they used, then that wealth should be shared with the African Americans. Since they did not share it, then libertarians believe that the money earned by whites is not legitimately theirs, and therefore they should pay some form of reparation towards African Americans. Utilitarians would support my side because they believe in doing what best benefits the general welfare of society. By repaying African Americans who have been put at a disadvantage over the years through white oppression, wealth would be redistributed in a way that benefits society as a whole greatly.
There is an obvious way that we should go about paying these reparations. We should not just take money from the government and give it to African Americans because this would not do anything accept financially support these people. We need charge whites for the significant harm that their ancestors placed upon African Americans. This way, people will realize the harm that was caused on slaves and blacks, and will learn that we should never have treated them like this and that we never should repeat these actions. Also, African Americans will recognize that we paid these reparations with our own money, and hopefully will appreciate them. Our children will grow up in a world where everyone is equal, and will not believe that blacks have been wronged and never compensated.