Black Reparations Forces Ramp Up Publicity Campaign

CNSNEWS.com ^ | Christine Hall

[kattracks]

CNSNews.com) - Proponents of black reparations are hoping an Aug. 17 march on Washington will boost the visibility of their campaign to have American taxpayers compensate 21st century blacks for the enslavement of their ancestors.

It's an idea that's supported by black leaders like Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), O.J. Simpson lawyer Johnnie Cochran, and Harvard legal scholar Charles Ogletree. Yet it has drawn scathing criticism from black intellectuals like academic scholars Walter Williams and Shelby Steele, as well as radio talk show host Larry Elder.

Such critics have lampooned the logic of exacting payment from living Americans, many of whose ancestors did not even own slaves, for atrocities that took place more than a century ago. Williams has even suggested that he himself might owe reparations because his own success in life can be attributed, in part, to his ancestors having been brought to this country.

Viola Plummer, co-chair of the "Millions for Reparation March," said organizers expect 25 to 50 thousand people to march. The event, she said, will feature average blacks as speakers and will not be "star-studded."

According to Plummer, the black reparations issue will define the 21st century.

Reparations, whether in the form of direct cash payments or beefed up funding for health clinics and other social services located in predominantly black communities, are justified, Plummer and her allies believe, because of alleged lingering health and economic disadvantages experienced by blacks as a result of 18th and 19th century slavery.

Reparations proponents also contend that America's present day status as an economic and military superpower was achieved thanks to blacks who worked in 19th century sharecropping fields and 20th century factories.

In return, they argue, blacks have endured Ku Klux Klan terrorism, lynchings, prison chain gangs, police torture and murder, poverty, sub-standard education and housing, unemployment, voter discrimination, drug addiction and assassination of their political leaders.

The average black American would be able to benefit from reparations, Plummer said, if, for example, a black woman was able to go to a health clinic, get a breast exam that resulted in early detection of breast cancer, and enjoyed a life span equal to her white counterpart.

Speaking at news conference Monday, Plummer was joined by District of Columbia Councilwoman Sandy Allen and defense attorney Sam Jordan, formerly the director of the Death Penalty Program for Amnesty International USA. Jordan has worked on behalf of former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was sentenced to death for the 1981 shooting of a Philadelphia police officer.

While Allen spoke of the past physical and emotional abuses suffered by black slaves, Jordan likened the plight of death row inmate Abu-Jamal with the alleged injustices suffered by law-abiding black Americans.

"The case of Mumia Abu-Jamal has much in common with the case of reparations for all the descendants of the sons and daughters of Africa forced into chattel slavery," said Jordan. "Mumia is indomitable, as is the spirit of reparations and the campaign for justice for the millions who yet carry the mark of the lash."

Support among black Americans for reparations is difficult to gauge, due to a dearth of scientific polling on the subject. But Plummer believes "African Americans have no choice but to support reparations."

An unscientific Internet poll conducted by the NAACP in March 2002 found that 71.1 percent of respondents believe the federal government should not launch a study into possible reparations, while 26.3 percent said it should.

Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has for more than a decade sponsored a bill in Congress to set up a reparations study commission. But even while Democrats controlled the House, the bill was never voted on either by the committee or the full House.

The Aug. 17 march will coincide with the 115th anniversary of the birth of Marcus Garvey, an international civil rights activist.

See Earlier Stories:

New Website Stirs Up Reparations Debate

Black Reparations Group Wants to Close 'Slave Health Deficit'

Slavery Reparations A Main Topic at CBC Conference

 

[Kerberos]

"as is the spirit of reparations and the campaign for justice for the millions who yet carry the mark of the lash."

And just who among us carries the "mark of the lash" today?

[Apple Pan Dowdy]

"black reparations issue will define the 21st century"

He is probably right on the mark about what will define the 21st century. Black reparations = GREED. And it is GREED that is defining the times we live in.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

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[Fraulein]

I thought it was a publicity campaign for the new album:





Always singing the same ole' song!

[Pern]

Another case of certain people too freaking lazy to improve themselves, and blame anyone they can for their woes. Everybody wants a free ride now days.

[JoeGar]

I'd support reparations if it included loss of American citizenship and a one-way ticket to the African nation of the recipient's choice.

[goldstategop]

A stupid idea that after 911 deserves to die aborning. It will be interesting to see how many dimwits the proponents can turn out on this march. A civil rights template it ain't.

[dennisw]

Their ancestors suffered and slaved away under the hot sun 150 years ago. These bums are trying to get a free ride off of this suffering. 

They are parasites who dishonor their ancestor's memory. They got affirmative action and disproportionate welfare payments and the lazy asses still ain't happy. Such largesse only spoiled them and made them want more freebies.

[YOMO]

Such critics have lampooned the logic of exacting payment from living Americans, many of whose ancestors did not even own slaves, for atrocities that took place more than a century ago. Williams has even suggested that he himself might owe reparations because his own success in life can be attributed, in part, to his ancestors having been brought to this country.....................
A voice of sanity at last.

The event will feature average blacks as speakers and will not be "star-studded."...................
Because they already earned theirs.

Reparations are justified because of alleged lingering health and economic disadvantages experienced by blacks as a result of 18th and 19th century slavery..............
If the blacks are still lingering with health issues they must be slow healers.

Reparations proponents also contend that America's present day status as an economic and military superpower was achieved thanks to blacks who worked in 19th century sharecropping fields and 20th century factories.........
Yeah, they worked on the Atomic Bomb, invented the internet (oops, sorry Al), all of which is as phony as the line Al, Hitlery, and Bill puts out.

In return, they argue, blacks have endured Ku Klux Klan terrorism, lynchings, prison chain gangs, police torture and murder, poverty, sub-standard education and housing, unemployment, voter discrimination, drug addiction and assassination of their political leaders...........
You can not assimilate into society until you want to. If you don't want prison don't do the crime, White America is just forcing them to put that junk in their veins and up their noses. What about their local pushers?

While Allen spoke of the past physical and emotional abuses suffered by black slaves, Jordan likened the plight of death row inmate Abu-Jamal with the alleged injustices suffered by law-abiding black Americans............
All LAW-ABIDING BLACK AMERICANS have alot in common with death row inmates, give me a break.

"Mumia is indomitable, as is the spirit of reparations and the campaign for justice for the millions who yet carry the mark of the lash.".......................
Mark of the lash my a$$. If they carried out the punishment you would not see the Marks on the killer who must be by now at least 190 years old.

"African Americans have no choice but to support reparations."..............
Everyone always has a choice.

Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has for more than a decade sponsored a bill in Congress to set up a reparations study commission. But even while Democrats controlled the House, the bill was never voted on either by the committee or the full
house..............
So let's blame Bush with this also.

Reprations my butt. Let's start in the "Hoods" and clean up the drug problems, teach proper respect and language in the schools, offer the same opportunities the white children have.

Reprations will serve only to furthur divide this country.

[uncbob]

Pay them reparations as long as they agree to renounce their citizenship and be taken back to their country of origin

[tcostell]

...and enjoyed a life span equal to her white counterpart.

This sentence clearly demonstrates the actual goal of this movement. What they want is to have equal economic results with other minority groups in spite of a less than equal effort of the individual. The leaders of this movement claim that hardships endured by their ancestors have limited them today. Anyone with more integrity than Al Sharpton is already admitting that this is bunk.

But the "equal results" issue (rather than equal opportunity) has always resonated with the left. If they rally around that tag line you'll see Hillary Clinton marching in parades come election time, and Tom Daschle lobbying for "reparations lite".

[Night Hides Not]

An unscientific Internet poll conducted by the NAACP in March 2002 found that 71.1 percent of respondents believe the federal government should not launch a study into possible reparations, while 26.3 percent said it should.

I demand reparations because I didn't get the chance to Freep this poll! At the very least, I could've bumped it to 72%.

[goldstategop]

The NAACLP's own polls tells them that a quarter of the public is willing to buy whatever the media tells them. God help America.

[apillar]

It's stupid ideas like this this lead to racial unrest and race wars.

Which Blacks would get reparations?

Would they have to prove that they are decendents from slaves, or would a black that imigrated from Haiti last week get reparations as well. Wouldn't THAT cause division in the black community.

If Blacks are able to get reparations, what about Native Americans?

Why should an Asian that came to the US in the 1980's pay reparations to Blacks for slavery?

[sinclair]

"...blacks have endured Ku Klux Klan terrorism, lynchings, prison chain gangs, police torture and murder, poverty, sub-standard education and housing, unemployment, voter discrimination, drug addiction and assassination of their political leaders."

There is nothing in this paragraph that "European-Americans" & "Asian-Americans" have not also endured. Why should African-Americans" receive something just because their skin is darker?

Some blacks wonder why they are on the lower socio-economic rungs of the ladder. The reason is because some of them think like this!!!

[The Toad]

Hmmmm. Shouldn't the original tribes in Africa that captured rival tribes and traded them off to be slaves have to pay too?

Or better, yet send them back if things are so horrible in the US. Geeze what a bunch of babies....

[Republic If You Can Keep It]

Great questions!

Here are a couple more:

Who qualifes as "black" for reparations purposes? How about someone who is 1/2 black? How about 1/4 black? 1/16? How about Tiger Woods?

If my great grandfather was killed in the Civil War, fighting to end slavery, does that count for anything?

[robjna]

anyone who thinks we haven't been paying reparations, hasn't looked at their tax return or where it goes. The amount of money put into the black hole called affirmative action and govenment dollars gone to improve life of our african american brothers is beyond comprehension. And what do we have to show for it?

[Tijeras_Slim]

The only people who ascribe to the "one-drop" rule are the race hucksters and "civil rights" pimps. Increases their base.