(ThyBlackMan.com) Anyone in the world is for free money where and when warranted. However, when it comes down to the reparations for Black Americans argument come about, I tend to bat an eye and disagree on the principle of it all. Every election cycle it seems that reparations become a topic and on some Democrats’ agenda item list.
The basis -generally speaking – is that during slavery and some years post-slavery, Blacks Americans were not able to gain the generational wealth seen today among their counter-groups of other ethnic backgrounds. While this is a fair argument, given the complicated historical background and circumstances of the late-1800s and the Reconstruction Era, it is very much impossible to just say – “If you’re Black in America, then you get a check!” Believe it or not, not ALL Blacks in America today can claim slavery affiliation from nearly 200-years ago.
Some Blacks today will find that their very own ancestors, who were Black, owned slaves themselves. What about the Blacks who were freed and given land, money, and even business(es), but squandered it off, or fell victim to capitalism?
If my great great great Grandparents owned land and it was passed down through the generations and my grandparents decided to sell the land for some selfish reason and lose out on creating generational wealth, maybe got suckered into a bad deal, or simply blew the proceeds not leaving anything for their children and grandchildren, do WE have a right to demand a do over just because we were not beneficiaries of a sanctioned enterprise from centuries before? What do we say or do about the current market of slavery going on today in the form of human trafficking and sex trafficking going on in the US and even in countries in Africa where our ancestry comes from?
Some of our relatives may be current victims of modern-day slavery but we are mum on the situation because “It’s not us!” Many Black people today cannot trace their lineage further than their great grandparents – whom by the way were likely not slaves – so what metrics or standards will be applied to Black Americans today to qualify them for a “Reparations package”?
Oh, by the way, since we are in the era of IDENTIFYING as whatever we want, EVERY PERSON in the United States will identify as Black. Afterall, Black people started humanity out of Africa, right? Will the “One drop rule” apply to paying out reparations?
Let’s just say that every African American who can prove their genetic lineage to slavery ancestry was the only mechanism used to qualify them for this “payment”, what will the amount be? Where does it come from? Is it one-time, quarterly, annually? What is stopping the subsequent generations from demanding reparations once this issue is “paid in full!? Hence, we are having this discussion again post-reconstruction. Can African Americans deal with the consequences and repercussions of the social ills and resentment from other Blacks and ethnic groups that didn’t get a penny or the equivalent thereof? Understand the difference between African American and Black, and there is a difference. To my fellow African Americans and Black people, stop falling for the gimmick that some politician, organization, or BS commission tells you that you are owed reparations and you will get it.
The only thing that will come from it is the fact you will run to the nearest polling booth and check their name and they will smile at the idea of sucking you in their sleep or on their way to the nearest bank to cash that check from the non-profit they created in the name of fighting for reparations for “Black people.”
Accept the fact that we are in a time and space where we must work, save, and build for ourselves and our posterity because it won’t be given to us for free or in any form of some retroactive payment for work YOU NEVER DONE for folks you never worked for.
Staff Writer; Randy Purham
This brother is a Former US Congressional Candidate for the House of Representatives for the state of Alaska At-Large. He is the CEO of Purham & Associates, LLC and Host of Purham & Associates Show on TECNTV.com.