Benedict College hosts reparations conference

The State - South Carolina ^ | Nov. 05, 2002 | JEFF STENSLAND

[stainlessbanner]

Benedict College is hosting its first-ever International Conference on Reparations and White Supremacy this week.

The conference, which began Monday, is sponsored by Benedict's Office of International Programs and addresses issues of racism and oppression around the globe. The conference runs through Friday on the college's campus in Columbia.

Scholars from the United States, Africa and Central and South America will tackle the question of what, if anything, whites owe blacks for slavery and other social injustices.

"We're trying to bring the discourse about reparations to the community," program director Norma Jackson said. "There hasn't been much discussion on the issue in the state."

Reparations for blacks has been talked about since slavery was abolished in the United States, said Roger Wareham, an attorney and a keynote speaker at Monday's session.

"The discussion has really heated up recently," said Wareham, whose firm represents clients suing several corporations who benefited from slave labor.

Wareham said a formula for paying descendants of slaves hasn't been worked out yet, but getting governments and industries to agree to reparations in principle is the first hurdle.

"Willingly or unwillingly, the situation that exists now in the country is based on a wrong that was never righted," he said. "There was labor that was never compensated."

The conference also looks at white supremacy and how it's represented in literature, art and global politics.

Seminars included "Images of Slavery in Confederate and Southern States Currency" and "Politicization of the Reparations Movement in Africa."

Jackson said the conference is unique because groups of students attending will form small "think tanks" and submit their own research papers on reparations. Several presenters at the conference are university students from other colleges.

While all the presenters at the conference support reparations, the sessions are free and open to the public, and organizers say those with differing views are welcome.

For a complete schedule of speakers, visit www.benedict.edu/bc/reparations.html or call (803) 540-2505.

[ikka]

That it should be held at Benedict is somehow appropriate, recalling as it does America's first traitor, Benedict Arnold.

[Lurking2Long]

I propose we give them the continent of Africa as "reparations" AND build each identifiable family group (both of them) a new house over there to boot!

(Call me racist...sounds like a fair deal to me!)

[J. Semper Paratus]

Well said!

[conservativemusician]

Watch for the libmedia to play this up. Sounds like Jesse Jackson's shakedown playbook stuff to me.

One question. Does Wareham's 30% of the take count as his reparations or does he want a separate check?

[APBaer]

Better be sure the Brothers pay in advance.

They recently had a conference in the Islands,
and then wouldn't pay the bill.