Essay On Reparations For African Americans

Reparations: The Fight for African American Payback
There are many reasons why family members of former slaves should receive reparations for the time their family member spent through the struggle. The legacy of slavery still continues today, the black tax or between African Americans and white, and will promote the independence of African Americans. Many people of African American descent believe that they are owed reparations, but the amount of debt owed is unknown. An apology issued for slavery is not enough, but to issue millions would also not be the right way to solve the issue. Dating back to the Civil War there has been a disagreement between races and politicians on what should be awarded. Issuing reparations for African Americans would possibly cost the United States of America more than ten trillion dollars.
Many believe that handing out reparations will promote to African American dependency on the government. Reparation will do the opposite for the black community. Reparations will create a platform for African Americans to “create their own economic base and become self-reliant” (Ten Reasons for Reparations). They will rely on their own powers and resources rather than depending on others. For many years African Americans have depended on others to help further their lives, but this could stop. With their

own foundation they can began to start over and better themselves. The money that is given will help them purchase homes, save for the education of their children, and pay off their debts. Dependency is not going to be the outcome of reparations, but the outcome will be to save and prosper the lives of many African Americans.
The claim for reparations is not against white Americans or even individual Americans.

It is a claim against American government and society, which has continued from the time of slavery. As all members of society share in society's benefits, they also must share the burdens in the form of taxation. Through slavery, African Americans were terribly wronged and modern blacks were robbed of their inheritance. Today blacks have lost their roots. Blacks still face racism today. Although there are laws implemented to help against racism, many people break those laws and create groups that are meant to segregate, hurt, and even kill African

Americans.
While many believe that Welfare has helped many African Americans, the effort is too late and is not efficiently helping aid their problem. Many of the programs like subsidized housing have failed because society has not come to the reality that the central problem is racism and discrimination. While these services offered to African Americans are intended to help them, they are isolating and degrading the black community. For example, subsidized housing or section 8 is offered to families that are in need of housing assistance. This program issues a voucher to a family to find a home within a certain amount. They will only pay a portion of the rent and the program will assist with the rest. The programs separate and downgrade blacks from whites. This is the continued racism and segregation of minorities (Reparations for African Americans). They have failed to address the unique claims based on slavery that African-Americans have. Reparations will give a fighting chance for African American to thrive and move above assisted living.
The problems faced by many blacks today came from slavery and society's ongoing racism. Blacks were uprooted from their homes in Africa and brutalized in America by a system that destroyed their family structure and degraded the individuals. When slavery ended, African Americans owned nothing. They did not own land, have homes to live in, or have any money to build with. Isolated and discriminated against, they were denied education, contacts with society, and economic opportunity. Compared to whites, blacks remain in a disadvantaged position and will remain so until they receive compensation and society's racism ends.
Even with the success of the Civil Rights Movement, many black lives are not successful. Reparations are not a new idea it dates back to 1886. In 1886 General Tecumseh Sherman posed the idea of reparations of, issuing forty acres and a mule for former slave families. Although this order was not carried out, it was an idea that continues today. Many black civil rights activist have tried to push for a law to issue reparations.