Why Descendants of Enslaved Africans Deserve Reparations

The enslavement of Africans and their descendants has been an atrocity that has lasted for centuries and has had a lasting effect on generations of African descendants around the world. The vast majority of those enslaved were never compensated for their labor, even after slavery ended. Today, many people are calling for reparations to be paid to the descendants of those enslaved. In this blog post, we will discuss why descendants of enslaved Africans deserve reparations and why it is so important to right this historic wrong.

The History of Slavery

Slavery has existed for thousands of years in almost every culture and region around the world. It is difficult to trace the exact origins of slavery, but it has been documented that it started as early as 4000 BC. Slavery took many forms over time, and different societies had different types of slavery. The transatlantic slave trade allowed people to be enslaved due to the color of their skin.

Slavery began in Africa when people were taken from their homes and sold into servitude by other Africans and other groups. This was a common practice in Ancient Egypt, where slaves were used as servants, soldiers, and even as high-ranking members of society. Many became slaves through war, kidnapping, and capture. Slavery was also widespread in parts of Asia, with many countries having a form of slavery or indentured servitude in place. But the slave trade in Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean was carried out due to the color of the enslaved person’s skin, and the enslaved people could be owned as property.

In America, slavery was a major part of the economy until the late 1800s. Slaves were shipped to European colonies in the Americas, including North America and the Caribbean islands. This was known as the transatlantic slave trade, which transported an estimated 12 million Africans to North and South America. These enslaved people were subjected to horrific conditions, being treated like nonhumans and forced to work long hours without pay or humane treatment.

 Unfortunately, the legacy of slavery is still felt by descendants of enslaved people who continue to experience systemic racism, inequality, and poverty.  Namely through generations of Jim Crow and other laws to hold Black people back, Generational wealth was mostly nonexistent for most former slaves and still far out of reach for many of the enslaved descendants. Chattel slavery allowed the enslaved people, due solely on what was defined as a race, to be owned forever as legal property. This was a cruel and dehumanizing practice, as people were treated as property and stripped of their basic rights and freedoms. The legacy of chattel slavery has left a deep and painful mark on those who have suffered from it. Today, descendants of enslaved people are still dealing with the effects of racism, inequality, and poverty due to the systemic injustice of slavery. It is for these reasons that descendants of enslaved people around the world deserve reparations for the suffering their ancestors and they have endured through the generations.

The transatlantic slave trade wasn’t abolished until 1865 in the United States of America, but even after its abolition, there were still enslaved people in America and in other parts of the world.

The Impact of Slavery

The enslavement of African people and their descendants around the world has had a devastating and lasting impact on individuals, families, and communities. Enslaved people were subjected to brutal and inhumane treatment, denied basic human rights, and forced to work long hours in harsh conditions for no pay. This system of oppression has had lasting effects on individuals and generations of people, particularly African Americans.

On a psychological level, the trauma of being taken from their homeland, separated from their families, and subjected to the cruelty of slavery has created mental and emotional scars that are still felt today. The legacy of slavery can be seen in the social and economic disparities between African Americans and their white counterparts, including income inequality, lack of access to resources, and in overall trials in life a sense of systemic racism.

The impact of slavery has also been felt on a larger scale, with its lasting effects evident in the unequal treatment of people of color by the justice system, limited access to education and job opportunities, and barriers to voting. This systemic racism has prevented many African Americans from achieving the same level of success as their white counterparts. It is estimated that these disparities will cost the US $1 trillion over the next decade.

The reparations movement is a way to acknowledge and address the injustices of the past and provide African Americans with the resources they need to help them succeed in the present. Reparations would not only provide financial compensation for those who have suffered but could also include measures such as investment in education, job training programs, and access to health care. With these initiatives, Americans of African descent could finally begin to close the gaps between them and their white counterparts.

The Argument for Reparations

The argument for reparations for descendants of enslaved Africans is based on the idea that slavery and its ongoing legacy of racism and injustice have been a destructive force on the lives of Americans of African descent and communities. This view is supported by numerous studies, including a report from the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, which found that “the legacy of colonial history, enslavement, racial subordination and segregation, racial terrorism and racial inequality in the United States remains a serious challenge, as there has been no real commitment to reparations and to truth and reconciliation for people of African descent.”

Proponents of reparations argue that compensating those who were enslaved or their descendants for the suffering caused by slavery would be a form of justice. They say that the wealth and opportunity taken from African Americans due to centuries of racial injustice should be repaid. They also point to the ways in which African Americans have been denied access to resources like education, homeownership, and economic opportunities, resulting in inequitable outcomes that still exist today.

In addition, reparations are seen as necessary for both practical and symbolic reasons. Practically, reparations could help close the racial wealth gap, provide an opportunity for those affected to purchase property, invest in their communities, and offer health benefits to those affected by past injustices. Symbolically, reparations are seen as an acknowledgment that racism has had a deep and lasting impact on African American lives and an acceptance of responsibility for this damage.

The Bottom Line

Reparations for the descendants of enslaved Africans around the world is a topic that has been met with resistance, skepticism, and even denial. However, when we consider the historical and contemporary impact of slavery, it is difficult to deny the need for reparations. Enslaved Africans were robbed of their autonomy, their families, and their freedom, and this legacy of injustice continues to be felt today. Reparations for descendants of slaves are necessary in order to recognize the magnitude of the wrongs committed and to repair the damage done. It is essential that reparations be paid in order to address the systemic inequities caused by centuries of discrimination and oppression. Only then can we begin to move toward true justice and healing. This is my two cents’ worth on reparations. I would like to hear your thoughts as well.–MM