Reparations. For what? For whom? What does this word mean? At its basic level, Reparations means to make someone whole for past wrongs. Today it is usually phrased as “Reparations for Slavery” to be bestowed on descendants of peoples enslaved in pre-13th Amendment America.
Obviously. the people directly affected by slavery cannot be made whole except by achieving their proper place in history books — a linguistic reparations, as it were. But “Reparations for Slavery” is the driving force for The New York Times “1619 Project.” The basic premise of this new look at American history is that Black Americans — enslaved, free and freed — were prevented from pursuing their own happiness on an equal basis with white Americans since Slavery Day One in 1619.
This iniquity was as real as can be. It was written into colonial, state and federal law; into the bylaws of civic and business organizations; and worst of all supported by Supreme Court decisions made almost as soon as the ink was dry on the 13th Amendment of December 6th, 1865.
But, some Black folks were wealthy before, during and after the centuries of American slavery. Some slaves did earn cash money and some slaves did use that money to buy their freedom. Some Black folks owned their own Black slaves, and som really did get 40 acres and a mule, or some variant thereof.
Here’s the rub: When a post-Civil War Black farm family started to achieve success, the white folks killed the mule, stole the land, burned down the home, beat and often killed the Black people who were just beginning to realize the agency of creating their own wealth.
These depredations are the legacy of the failure of Reconstruction (1863-1877). Since this destruction of Black success marks the beginning of Jim Crow Two, perhaps we should begin to think about “Reparations for Jim Crow” who grew up during the late slavery period (ca. 1830 – 1865) and is still active today.
Paul M. Craig
Northampton