Posted on 11/13/2005 9:20:52 PM PST by Coleus
LEONIA - Calling slavery "a moral wrong that must be righted ... to cleanse the soul of America," a group of North Jersey residents set out Saturday to look for ways to make reparations to African-Americans.
At the All Saints' Episcopal Church, more than 30 people sought ways to compensate black Americans for the unpaid labor, pain and humiliation endured by their ancestors - and for the economic, social and psychological problems caused by slavery that still affect blacks today.
"This is about repairing the enduring harm that slavery caused to people of African ancestry in so many ways, including financially," said Donna Lamb, communications director for Caucasians United for Reparations and Emancipation. "It's a simple fact that for 250 years whites robbed millions of enslaved Africans of the wealth their labor created. They were forced to work for free, while white individuals, companies and the U.S. government made huge profits off their labor."
On its Web site, CURE expresses "remorse for all the crimes committed in the name of white supremacy" and notes that "true emancipation of the enslaved Africans will not be achieved until their descendants enjoy the freedoms that reparations will provide."
The community forum was the first of many planned by the Newark Episcopal Diocese's Reparations Task Force, created in July 2004 as part of the church's "mission to dismantle racism."
The discussion was led by Lamb and Barbara Wheeler, chairwoman of African Studies at Kean University, who recounted the history of efforts to seek reparations for black Americans.
"This is not a new struggle," Wheeler said. "This has been a struggle since black people have been here."
At the forum, some whites expressed their shame over slavery and some blacks spoke of their anger over the "white privilege" they said is still prevalent in this country.
"My emotional reaction had a lot of shame in it, a lot of sadness," said Annie Byerly, a white woman from Leonia, after watching a movie on the need for slave reparations. "And my intellectual reaction was, 'I've got to fix this.'Ÿ"
The movie caused a different reaction among African-Americans. "I'm speaking softly," said Lorna Cunningham of Teaneck. "But I'm very angry."
Lamb warned the forum participants to "be leery of what you hear or read in the mainstream media about this subject because the powers that be want white people to fear and hate the idea of reparations."
One by one, Lamb sought to answer the lingering questions posed by white Americans who say their ancestors didn't own slaves, or who immigrated to this country after slavery.
"Reparations is not about money being taken out of every white person's personal bank account and handed over to blacks, as the spreaders of misinformation can make it seem," Lamb said. "Individuals do not pay reparations. Reparations are what a government pays a people it has wronged ... with tax dollars."
She said white Americans didn't have to own a slave to benefit from slavery "because the whole infrastructure of this nation was built on money made from it."
As for those who came after slavery was abolished, Lamb said it doesn't matter. She said they also benefited from a society created by slavery.
"The whole reason people come to this country in the first place is to get in on the wealth that had its origin in slavery," Lamb said. "They don't know it, but these 'streets paved in gold' they came here to find could more aptly be called 'streets bathed in the blood, sweat and tears of enslaved Africans."
Lamb said she is often told she is being divisive for making an issue over something that happened so long ago.
"My response is that the ravages of slavery, both economic and spiritual, are very much alive and immediate today," she said. "You can't brutalize a people massively and then just tell them to get over it."
Agreeing with Lamb, several participants said it should not be up to white people to determine how blacks should spend reparation money. They noted that African-Americans who seek reparations have many good ideas, including funding for education, job training, housing, small businesses, and child and mental health care - to bring blacks up to par with white Americans.
Participants were asked if their churches should be involved in the reparations debate.
"If we are all equal and made in God's image," said Ruth Dougherty of Leonia, "it's a no-brainer."
All things being equal, my ancestors never owned slaves, and shed blood during the Civil War to free the slaves....so don't plan on coming after me or mine.
Don't plan on reparations proponents excecizing any judgement. This isn't about right and wrong. This is about blame and victimhood.
I know, and I'm disgusted with the victim mentality so prevalent in so many people.
Of the free blacks that were removed from Africa for slavery in the new world, only 6% of them ended up in the United States. These 6% were the lucky ones.
Every people has been slaves at one time or another.
The Greeks enslaved and were enslaved.
The Jews enslaved and were enslaved
The Romans the same.
Only the current crop made it an essential part of their identity.
>>"Reparations is not about money being taken out of every white person's personal bank account and handed over to blacks, as the spreaders of misinformation can make it seem," Lamb said. "Individuals do not pay reparations. Reparations are what a government pays a people it has wronged ... with tax dollars."
LOL.
Wish they'd spend their time in more creative ways than living in the past....the victims and those who did the crimes are long dead.
Enough of this nonsense. Blacks were better off coming here as slaves. Does that make it right? Of course not. In Africa they would eat each other.
Where in h*ll does she think those tax dollars come from???
Before she goes after my hard-earned money, she ought to get the Episcopal church to sell all its assets!
What about over 600,000 deaths in the Civil War?
This has nothing to do with slavery. This is about dividing and weakening America in order to advance socialistic world government. Do not make the mistake of excusing these people as well-intended, if naive do-gooders. They are evil liars who mean us all ill.
I suppose I should sue the Irish Govt. for causing some of my ancestors to die during the famine, and for forcing others to come to New York City, where many, many lived in filth and horrible conditions.....course, the tales of woe and victimhood weren't obsessed upon in my family, so I only know about the immigrant plight from history books.
I believe slavery was very wrong. But I also believe they are about 120 years too late. The people that needed to pay for the crimes of enslaving their fellow man have been in their graves for longer then anyone has been alive. And to make the innocent pay for a crime they did not commit, is to me, a crime in it's self.
That was payment in full. The debt is zero. It is time to close the account. I think the number 600,000 is a bit low. What were the civilian deaths?
How about a free one way ticket to the African Country of their choice.
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