‘U.S. Must Lead the Charge on Reparations for Slave Descendants,’ says American in Belfast
American Activist in the United Kingdom, Quianna Canada, Join Call for U.S. to Issue Reparations to Slave Descendants
In the annals of history, the United States stands as a nation born of both profound ideals and deep contradictions. One such contradiction lies in its own involvement in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
History of Transatlantic Slave Trade
The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) tells us that between 1501 and 1867, nearly 13 million African people were kidnapped, forced onto European and American ships, and trafficked across the Atlantic Ocean to be enslaved, abused, and forever separated from their homes, families, ancestors, and cultures.
Enslaved Africans were trafficked to New England, Boston, New York City, the Mid-Atlantic, Virginia, Richmond, the Carolinas, Charleston, Savannah, the Deep South and New Orleans, where their enslavers capitalized off their free labour.
Profits reaped from this inhumane system fuelled the growth of industries and enriched enslavers, passing down wealth to the dominant society and laying the foundation for the United States of America. As can be seen, the economic prosperity of the young nation was inextricably linked to the suffering of enslaved Africans.
The Jim Crow Era and COINTELPRO
It cannot be denied that America’s legacy of slavery reverberates through generations, leaving an indelible mark on the Black American community. One should, however, not forget that institutionalized racism entrenched the socioeconomic disparities faced by Black Americans during the Jim Crow era. Take, for example, the actions of government agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who exacerbated this legacy of oppression. Under programs like COINTELPRO, the FBI engaged in egregious violations of civil liberties, profiling Black Civil Rights leaders and organizations. It is a well known fact that the FBI sought to undermine efforts towards racial equality through infiltration, surveillance, and smear campaigns.
This harmful legacy lives on today. Indeed, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation said, “[t]he FBI’s recent “Intelligence Assessment” is yet another example of using “domestic terror” and “extremism” as a smokescreen for silencing constitutionally protected speech” of Black Americans. It also said the FBI had unfairly profiled Black Civil Rights activists through unlawful surveillance.
America’s Politicization of Medicine
The consensus among the public is that the United States of America has a troubling history of utilizing psychiatry as a tool to silence it citizens, spanning from Martha Mitchell’s ordeal during the Watergate Scandal to the case of Adrian Schoolcraft, who was unlawfully apprehended by the ESU and forcefully admitted to a psychiatric facility against his will.
The United States of America continues to uphold this troubling tradition by unjustly profiling Black American citizens who bravely speak out against mistreatment while they are outside the country. In Moral Psychology and Civil Rights Protesters: Exemplary, Different, and Mad, Daniel W. Noon builds on Jonathan Metzl’s “protest psychosis,” arguing that the U.S. Government wrongfully imposed schizophrenia on Black Civil Rights leaders to discredit their activism.
We cannot ignore the fact that certain allies of the nation are involved in facilitating the mistreatment of Black activists who are exercising their rights in advocating for political change while abroad. This further demonstrates a continued disregard for the rights and dignity of Black Americans.
Deprivation of Upward Mobility
Descendants of slaves were frequently deprived of opportunities for upward mobility. This includes, but is not limited to, access to quality education, adequate housing, fair treatment by law enforcement, and equal access to justice. The effects of this systemic oppression continue to manifest today, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality.
Legacy of Police Violence
Another distressing fact is the rampant police brutality and systemic racism within America’s law enforcement and how it perpetuates a state of terror and oppression for Black communities. To illustrate this point, one need only refer to the extrajudicial killings of unarmed Black Americans, which is often met with impunity.
Amidst the ongoing struggle against discrimination, racial profiling, and instances of excessive or deadly force faced by Black Americans in the United States of America, it’s imperative to acknowledge that the settlements reached in such cases often fail to capture the full scope of those affected. Many Black Americans either are unable to record their experiences or, are completely silenced by the State, underscoring the pervasive nature of systemic injustice beyond what is captured in legal resolutions.
The United Nations: Reparations for Descendants of Slaves
The very institutions entrusted with upholding justice in the United States of America have long been instruments of oppression, perpetuating the cycle of violence and inequality. This is just a stark reminder of the ongoing persecution faced by Black Americans. To be sure, the United Nations Chief António Guterres said, “People of African descent face a unique history of systemic and institutionalized racism, and profound challenges today.” Chief Guterres further said, “We must respond to that reality, learning from and building on the tireless advocacy of people of African descent.”
The UN Chief’s call for States engaged in the abhorrent trade of enslaved Africans to provide reparations to their descendants is not only a moral imperative but also a vital stride toward redressing centuries of profound injustice.
The United States’ Moral Obligation to Atone
It is very clear from these observations that the United States of America has a moral obligation to provide reparations to all descendants of enslaved Africans. Cash reparations are not just a symbolic gesture but a tangible acknowledgment of the debt owed to generations of Black Americans who have suffered under the weight of systemic oppression. First, reparations must encompass financial compensation. Second, it must encompass systemic reforms aimed at addressing the root causes of racial inequality and ensuring justice and equity for all.
By disbursing cash payments, the United States of America not only recognizes the profound losses suffered by those whose ancestors were deprived of their freedom, dignity, and humanity, but it also undertakes tangible steps to confront the enduring legacy of systemic racism — a legacy that remains largely unaddressed by the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government today.
“It is time for America to fulfil its moral obligation and pave the way towards a more just and equitable future for all, and atone with reparations for slave descendants,” says Quianna Canada.