Reparations
Reparations for African Americans have not been made into reality. Yet, by the 21st century, the talk for reparations has increased. Even some liberals, unfortunately, don't agree with reparations for black Americans. It is hypocritical for anyone to support reparations for some Japanese Americans (for the unjust mistreatment that they have suffered in internment camps during WWII), support reparations for Native Americans (who suffer dilapidated homes, discrimination, and genocide for centuries), support reparations for the Jewish victims of the Shoah or Holocaust but oppose reparations for African Americans. We, who are black Americans, suffered slavery, the Maafa, Jim Crow, peonage, and genocide in America. This reality is more than enough documentation to promote reparations for our people. There are sincere people who desire reparations for black Americans. There are other groups of people who are xenophobic and harbor hatred of black people in the African Diaspora (who are not African Americans) who claim to be for reparations, but they are actually for division in the black community based upon nationality. These groups are heavily found in many sectors of the ADOS and FBA movements respectively. I made my views known on my disagreements with both movements. I disagree with Tariq Nasheed, Antonio Moore, and Yvette Carnell on many issues. The most important thing is to advocate for reparations for black Americans. That fight will continue. With the recent developments of reparations talk in California, we witness a new era. Reparations are not just about money. It's about eliminating structural racism and other forms of oppression to create a system of justice for everyone (with investments and other revolutionary solutions). Reparations are about establishing a system of building resources that develops the land, family, housing, and other institutions of our black communities.
Predecessors
The fight for reparations for black Americans has existed for over 100 years. From 1890-1896, we know about the National Ex Slave Mutual Relief Bounty and Pension Association. It was created to get pensions for former slaves from the Federal government as compensation and reparations for their unpaid labor and suffering. It was officially founded in 1896 and chartered in 1898 in Nashville, Tennessee. Former slaves Callie House and Isaiah H. Dickerson founded the group. By the early 20th century, we saw the movement of Marcus Garvey. Garvey created the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) to promote black racial pride, economic independence, and the creation of an independent Black nation in Africa. UNIA exists to this very day. Marcus Garvey passed away before the end of World War II. In 1948, many black scholars and activists united to say that the American slave trade fits the Genocide Convention Treaty's UN definition of genocide. Regardless of if you agree with Elijah Muhammad or not, he, in 1950, called for reparations. Robert Brock during the 1950's created the Reparations Movement in California. He spent over 40 years on this issue. By 1951, the Civil Rights Congress (CRC) wrote a paper entitled, "We Charge Genocide: The Crime of Government Against the Negro People.” It accused the United States government of genocide based on the UN Genocide Convention and it was presented to the United Nations at meetings in Paris in December 1951.
After CRC Secretary William L. Patterson presented the petition to the UN at a Paris meeting, the U.S. State Department forced him to surrender his passport. W. E. B. Du Bois also presented it to the UN, over the objections of Eleanor Roosevelt. Actor/activist Paul Robeson during a separation occasion also handed the document to a UN official in New York City. By the 1950's more groups organized for black reparations. In 1962, Pan African leader Queen Mother Moore and Dara Abubakari formed a group called Reparations Committee. They went on to deliver a communique to UN. In 1963, a petition of 1 million signatures was organized to back the demand for reparations for black Americans. In 1968, the Republic of New Afrika (RNA) was founded by Imari Obadele. It demanded payment by the federal government of several billion dollars in reparations to African-American descendants of slaves for the suffering due to chattel enslavement as well as the Jim Crow laws, and modern-day racism. In 1969, James Forman presented the Black Manifesto of Reparations demands at the Riverside Church in New York City. The Black Manifesto demanded that “white churches and synagogues pay reparations for Black enslavement and continuing discrimination and oppression. It had been written and delivered by former SNCC executive director, James Forman, who commandeered the pulpit of Riverside Church in New York on May 4, 1969, disrupting the regular service,” SNCC Digital reported. The opening words of the manifesto are: “We the Black people assembled in Detroit, Michigan, for the National Black Economic Development Conference are fully aware that we have been forced to come together because racist white America has exploited our resources, our minds, our bodies, our labor…We have helped to build the most industrial country in the world.”
In 1972, at the National Black Political Convention in 1972, a Reparations resolution was passed by 10,000 people and presented to all of the Presidential candidates. During the 1980's, groups fought for reparations like the African Peoples Socialist Party. In 1987, there was the creation of the N'COBRA (the National Coalition of Blacks in America) that fought for reparations. Also in 1987, Dorothy Lewis Benton, the founder of Black Reparations Commission, published two informative books on reparations. In 1989, Massachusetts State Senator Bill Owens introduced Senate Bill 1621, cosponsored by Representatives Shirley Owens-Hicks and Byron Rushing. This bill is an act to provide for reparations by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for "slavery, the slave trade, and invidious discrimination against people of African descent born or residing in the US,” ForReparations.org reported. In 1989, Congressman John Conyers’ HR40 Study Bill was initially introduced. In 1993, “The First Pan African Conference on Reparations was held in Abuja, Nigeria, April 27-29 and attended by African Americans,” The Atlanta World Daily reported. In 1994, Silas Muhammad wanted a hearing at the UN on reparations. In 1994 and in 1995, the Florida legislature passed a reparations settlement in Rosewood, Florida. It approved a “$2.1 million reparations bill to help make amends for the state turning its back on the racial violence that wiped out Rosewood, a black hamlet in Levy County." In 1999, the Tulsa Race Riot Commission launched to explore the lingering effects of the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 during which mobs of white residents attacked Black residents and businesses of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The commission was also formed to look into reparations for the survivors and the descendants of the victims. The Tulsa anti-black pogrom was about white racists killing black men, black women, and black children in Oklahoma out of jealousy and racism. Many black families fled Tulsa to save their lives. Racists used airplanes with bombs to blow up black-owned businesses and buildings.
By the 21st century, the African American reparations movement increased more. By the year of 2000, legal strategist and Attorney Deadria Farmer-Paellmann launched a campaign to expose corporate complicity in slavery; secures\d an apology from Aetna, Inc. for it benefiting from the slave trade. HR 40 is supported more during the Chicago Alderman Dorothy Hearing. African Americans call for Reparations at the Durban 400. Randall Robinson's 2001 book called, "The Debt" uses arguments for reparations for the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade. In 2002, Attorney Deadria Farmer Paellmann continued her efforts and sues more than 20 U.S. corporations for their predecessor companies profiteering from the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade. The National African American Reparations Commission (NARRC) is launched at York College in N.Y. in 2015. By 2019, the U.S. House held a reparations hearing on Juneteenth with testimony from Ta-Nehisi Coates and Danny Glover.
The right to Reparations for Black Americans
Reparations for black Americans is an important cause to promote. We believe in the wonderful-sounding statement that all people are created equal and are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Part of living up to that creed is to promote accountability involving restitution to the oppressed. The argument from some who hate reparations for black Americans is that slavery is gone in America, and it would be impossible for compensation to be met. That is refuted for many reasons. One is that historically, the American government gave reparations to Native Americans centuries after the first genocides against Native Americans. There are instances where the government gave payment to the descendants of the victims of oppression. Also, the American government gave reparations to Japanese Americans who were the victims of the internment camps decades later in the 1980's. Black Americans have not received reparations after we experienced the Maafa, slavery, the peonage system (which was virtual slavery that lasted from the 1800's to the 1940's), Jim Crow apartheid, other forms of discrimination, etc. Also, America in many cases had missed policy opportunities to send reparations to newly freed slaves back then. Even Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. endorsed a form of reparations during the 1960's. Slavery still exists worldwide, including in America illegally via human trafficking, etc.
THe ADOS and FBA Movements
There are 2 major groups trying to infiltrate the legitimate reparations movement for black Americans. These groups exploited the legitimate grievances of our people to promote division among the black African Diaspora (as I believe in Pan-African unity as we are all Brothers and Sisters in the human family). First, I will expose the ADOS movement and then the FBA Movement. First, The ADOS Movement stands for the American Descendants of Slaves. That name is a contradiction because Black American history didn't start with slavery. Black American history started with Africa, which is the Mother of all in the human race. Our ancestors were scholars, spiritual leaders, and intellectuals spanning thousands of years. Now, our ancestors were victims of slavery, but our history didn't end or start with slavery. It is true that we black Americans should have reparations 100 percent and without exception. The ADOS movement was started by 2 people who are lawyer Antonio Moore of Los Angeles and former political consultant Yvette Carnell. Yvette Carnell is from the Midwest. The problems with the ADOS movement are plenty. One major problem is that its founders have said problematic statements for years. Moore said that he has more of a connection with white Americans than Africans culturally. Carnell said the lie that Pan-Africanism is dead, which is not true. Pan-Africanism organizations flourish today and worldwide. African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Afro-Latinos, Africans, and all black people of the global African Diaspora are deserving of dignity, respect, justice, and liberation period.
The ADOS movement was created in 2016 which is the same year that Donald Trump won the 2016 Presidential election. Also, some ADOS members have links to far-right movements. Yvette Carnell was caught being part of an anti-immigrant group called Progressives for Immigration Reform that had links to a late racist person (who is John Tanton) who advocated eugenics. Other supporters of this movement are economist Dr. William "Sandy" Darity and even Dr. Cornel West supported ADOS (that betrays his claims to be for progressive human liberation. Cornel West said the canard saying that Dr. King and Malcolm X would support ADOS when both men were pro-Pan African unity. Malcolm X explicitly said that he wanted to unite black people in the Americas and Africa plus worldwide). The ADOS is slicker than the FBA Movement in the sense that the ADOS combines legitimate information about economic inequality in the black community and abhorrent anti-black, far-right, and anti-immigrant talking points to gain recruits in their movement.
Many of their slogans are cut the check, Tangibles, etc. They seek to hijack Black American social movements for change in order to promote division among the Diaspora. The ADOS is so extreme that they wanted the 2020 Census to make ADOS its own category that will harm resources to the black community overall in America. Unity, not division, creates strength for black people. ADOS co-founders claim to support H.R. 40 (or the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African American Act), but they want the ADOS term used not African American. This is a sign that they have hostility to Africa as without Africa no human would be born on this Earth period. The H.R. 40 bill was sponsored by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. Some ADOS leaders want Black Americans by force to provide slavery documentation before having access to affirmative action and reparations (that is similar to the old school grandfather clauses that racists used to harm black people's voting rights). Tons of black Americans will not be able to provide this documentation because of access and other reasons. I have my own documents proving that my 2nd great-grandparents were black slaves in America (and beyond back during the 1700's), but millions of black Americans don't have that documentation. Many ADOS leaders refuse to work with or bash independent pro-reparations (for black Americans) like the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations (N'COBRA).
Many ADOS leaders and social media commentators do attack any black scholars, historians, and regular people if they disagree with them in some cases online harassment. Some ADOS people are so xenophobic that they want to limit black immigrants going into America which is similar to white far-right racists wanting to decrease immigration to America (who are black people, brown people, and other people of color). Yvette Carnell is clear on minimizing the African heritage of black Americans. She even was offended at African music played at Howard University which proves her xenophobia. African music has every right to be presented at Howard University. ADOS lied on Queen Mother Audley Moore and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to promote their cause. The truth is that Queen Mother Moore was an overt Pan-Africanist, and Dr. King was in favor of being against imperialism, joining African liberation movements, and he visited Africa to celebrate the independence of Ghana. If black immigrants are restricted to come into America, that lowers the black population (that agenda is advocated by far-right white racists). The PFIR supports the ADOS agenda. Queen Mother Moore also founded the Committee for Reparations for Descendants of U.S. Slaves. One of the great scholars refuting ADOS is Jessica Alwuyor. Queen Mother said she was African First. Slavery is not a lineage. Black identity in America is diverse too. Some black people were in the Caribbean centuries ago and came into America centuries ago from the Caribbean. Some black Americans came into Canada and came back to America. The ADOS movement is anti-black because it implies that black immigrants (not the system of economic and racial oppression) are taking resources from the Black American community. The truth is that black immigrants are not responsible for employment, housing, health, and education issues in our community. These are caused by centuries-long oppressive systems targeting us all. ADOS founders don't blame white immigrants with the same intensity as they do black immigrants. How ironic. The reality is that immigrants of any color are not responsible collectively for the oppression of black American people. Racists demonize black and brown immigrants because, by 2045, America will be a majority people of color country. White racists want black immigrants to not come into America for racist reasons. So, the ADOS and FBA movements use white racist talking points constantly.
That is why Ann Coulter supports the ADOS movement. Another weakness of ADOS is that some of them refuse to vote if no reparations are immediately sent to black Americans. The problem is that we have issues of poverty, imperialism, economic inequality, and other issues. Not voting will give the far-right leverage in harming our rights and resources to live our lives. Also, voting is not just a federal deal. Not voting will harm local school boards, local governments, and how money is allocated in our communities. Therefore, we have every right to vote and fight for reparations at the same time. Not all ADOS people are Russian bots, but some ADOS people are clear on their xenophobia. What is disappointing is Dr. Cornel West supported the ADOS propaganda at the 2019 ADOS conference. Black people are diverse and ADOS seeks to separate black people based on nationality. That is why one tweet has Dr. Sandy Darity saying that people must stop and apologize if ADOS members made denigrating comments about others in the black African Diasporic community. The problem is that the xenophobic rhetoric from many members of the ADOS movement continues in public and on the Internet. Yvette Carnell on December 18, 2019, did a live stream where she bashed the Ghanaian tourism industry for lying to say that Ghana was scamming African Americans. Many ADOS people harass people with whom they disagree. ADOS Twitter liars have attacked journalist Nikole Hannah Jones, Bree Newsome, Yvette Nicole Brown, Mark Thompson, etc. One of them named Bill Dixon even mocked the death of Rep. Elijah Cummings and disrespected his wife. There are many ADOS members who say that they are sincere, but they omit that ADOS leaders are filled with xenophobia, historical revisionism, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and extremism.
The FBA movement was invented by Tariq Nasheed. In a way, the FBA movement is eviller and more bigoted than even the ADOS movement. The reason is that Tariq Nasheed is overt in his even more extreme stereotyping and hatred of Afro-Caribbean people. He has blamed Afro-Caribbean people for crime, exploitation, and other evils in the black community. He also uses a slur to describe Afro-Caribbean people in America. I won't mention the name of the slur here, but it's the t word. Tariq Nasheed is the person who said that black single women don't deserve reparations, he said that he lusted after Brooke Hogan, also he called BW in IR slurs (yet, his wife is a product of an interracial relationship. He is a hypocrite). So, Tariq Nasheed is filled with contradictions. He is now promoting the myth that black Americans are the real Native Americans, and he copied that myth from Dave Calloway (who promotes that myth too). Tariq Nasheed made a documentary about the Haitian Revolution years ago praising it, but now he tries to disrespect people who have Haitian heritage. He is a totally nefarious person. We know now that African Americans and Afro-Caribbeans have had cultural exchanges for centuries improving the culture and vitality of black people for generations. One example is how Afro-Caribbean Kwame Ture worked with black American leaders to fight for black liberation. Another example is the Caribbean and African Americans unifying to fight for freedom in New York City, Louisiana, Florida, and across the USA. Some of my personal heroes are Afro-Caribbean people. Our ancestors came from Africa originally. Also, Tariq Nasheed omits that many people that Nasheed claims to hold in high regard have Caribbean heritage from Floyd Mayweather to Malcolm X. The misogynist Tariq Nasheed hypocritically scapegoats immigrants for problems in the black community, but he is married to a descendant of European immigrants, and a descendant of African people. Nasheed's sister Natalie is married to a descendant of European immigrants too. Tariq can't criticize black women in IRs when his black sister is involved in an interracial marriage. That's hypocrisy.
Some FBA extremists oppose black Africans supporting the black people being mistreated in Ukraine by racists. Tariq has more criticism against Democrats than Republicans. Both parties have imperfections. Yet, Trump and the Republicans have voter suppression policies, some seek to end Social Security, some endorse ending environmental regulations, and the GOP actually wants bans on anti-racist books in many states. So, it is obvious that the Republicans are much worse. Tariq Nasheed even bashed the Voting Rights Act, John Lewis, and claims to say Happy Dr. King's day. Voting rights are important that Dr. King supported. Therefore, Tariq is a hypocritical self-hater who has more hatred of black leaders than Maga followers. A sexist like Tariq Nasheed (who made books disrespecting women and was once a rapper called T-Flex who glorify violence) is never a role model for our people. In Brazil years ago, he did hedonism against white Brazilians, not uplifting the black Brazilian population. Tariq Nasheed's FBA Museum is not here yet. I rather support the Charleston, South Carolina International Black American Museum that will come for real in the future. FBA isn't representative of black Americans. The ADOS and FBA movements are hate groups plain and simple.
The Issue of California
In the state of California, the issue of reparations for black Americans is coming up. There is a new task force calling on the state to provide comprehensive reparations to black Americans. The truth is that slavery didn't just exist in the South over 150 years ago. It existed across America, even in parts of California. The California Reparations Task Force was created by Governor Gavin Newsom after George Floyd's 2020 unjust murder. This was made up of a body of nine appointed individuals responsible for studying what a reparations program would be like for California. It was created in 2021. Its report came about in June 2022 with a comprehensive interim report. It researched the state's history of slavery and the oppression of Black Californians since the state was formed in 1860. The report found that after the 13th Amendment allowed Congress to legally abolish slavery, new forms of oppression existed in California afterward. Khamilah Moore or the chair of the commission said that the report is the most thorough report on race since the 1968 Kerner Commission. The report dealt with exposing voting rights violations, housing segregation, unfair education systems, and environmental injustice in California. It studied the racial wealth gap and how the state and federal governments make it harder for black families to stay together. California never ratified the 14th Amendment until 1959, and the 15th Amendment until 1962. The task force wants solutions too in banning the words of involuntary servitude, education grants sent to black students, fighting police brutality, tackling pollutants, and other issues.
This is an interim report, and it's the start of a move towards possible reparations in California and throughout the nation of America. Also, I heard of this person named "American Cholo" making anti-black statements. He, his ancestry is from Honduras, recently appeared on the radio station Power 106 (talking about Tyga apologizing for a music video over Tyga's depictions of Latino people). The racist American Cholo, on the podcast, wants to protest black people getting reparations (They want Native Americans and Mexicans to get it first, but many Native Americans already have reparations. Also, there is footage of American Cholo's racist rant using the n word and calling black people "ghetto c___." It is no secret that racism is found in Latin America including Mexico. Not all Latinos are racists, but black Americans and black people, in general, have every right to call out racism and bigotry. Yes, Afro-Latinos are black people too). For the record, I don't agree with Tariq Nasheed's xenophobia in bashing black immigrants and black people of the Diaspora (who aren't black Americans) either. We are one black people regardless of our nationalities. American Cholo is a person that I don't respect, and his racism should be condemned 100 percent. Reparations for black Americans is a necessity.
New Developments
Many people know about the story of reparations coming to Evanston in 2012 by former Alderman Lionel Jean-Baptiste. Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH) is a nonprofit organization that promotes and develops affordable housing. It was used to give the first 16 local reparations restorative housing grants. This is not reparations for black Americans collectively, but it is a legitimate gesture to help fellow human beings to survive in the world. Evanston's Local Reparations Restorative Housing Program wanted to eliminate the effects of systemically racist past practices from the city government and all city affiliated organizations. Many black people have to fit certain categories to get reparations like residents who lived in the city from 1919 to 1969, a direct descendant of a black resident from 1919 to 1969, and residents who gave evidence that they were victims of housing discrimination due to the city's policies or practices after 1969. More black Evanstonians are fighting for these types of reparations. This story has been written by a reporter at the Evanston RoundTable named Debbie-Marie Brown. Evanston is found in Illinois being a Chicago suburb. Reparations for black Americans have been stalled in Congress for a time now. In St. Paul, Minnesota, the city has apologized in 2021 for its role in the institutional and structural racism experienced by its black residents. City officials in St. Paul formed an advisory committee to create a framework for reparations commissions. The committee made a report recommending direct cash payments to eligible black residents and creating a permanent reparations committee. This will focus on sending reparations to address racial disparities in housing, healthcare, education, employment, etc. Trahrn Crew, a member of St. Paul City council's reparations legislation advisory committee partly influenced reparations efforts in Minnesota's capital city. Yohuru Williams wants a holistic approach to reparations. Times are changing, and the movement for reparations for black Americans collectively is reaching new heights of power.
The Struggle Continues and Inspiration for the Future
Life is a miracle. When I was younger, I certainly underestimated the value of life and timing. Now, that I'm older, I see the value of life is very important. Learning great lessons is part of aging. Centuries ago, my ancestors were in Western and Central Africa. Later, evil people kidnapped, raped, and abused our ancestors. They sent them to America against their will. Their cultures, music, and way of life (from Africa) have been gone in a moment. The journey of the Maafa was brutal. Black women were raped on ships, black men were whipped, and black people on ships were placed in chains. The worst crime of humanity involving slavery was the Maafa. It lasted from the late 1400's to the 1800's. It lasted for over 400 years. The miracle is that our people live now. After all of that pain and turmoil have been done to our black ancestors by racists and terrorists, black people still exist as STEM leaders, teachers, lawyers, activists, theologians, artists, musicians, athletes, doctors, lawyers, and other courageous human beings. Our people have no malice towards innocent people of every color, but we reserve our right to advocate for restitution, accountability, and justice.
Part of that aim for justice is to promote reparations for black Americans. The Black American story is a great story filled with triumphs from laws being made to institutions being developed to improve the lives of so many people in the world. We still have a long way to go in seeking liberation. For the past 50 years, the reparations movement has grown in strength. Many policies have existed. For the record, I reject xenophobia. Some try to exploit the reparations movement to demonize or minimize the importance of Pan-African unity. That is why I don't agree with the ADOS or FBA movements as their movements have tons of members having hostility toward black people outside of America. The leader of FBA, Tariq Nasheed, has disrespected Afro-Caribbeans constantly in videos and Tweets (even calling them slurs like the "t" word). One of the founders of ADOS even showed hostility to African music shown in Howard University. Another founder of ADOS said that he has more in common with a European American than an African. Therefore, black Americans will continue to fight for reparations without compromise, without xenophobia, and without bigotry. Truth is on our side.
By Timothy
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