Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
Sparking a national dialogue in the midst of a delayed Black History Month and an intensified 2020 Presidential election, long-awaited talks of reparations for descendants of slaves have finally come into fruition and have evoked a well-needed discussion.
In the wake of a political and racial climate that unfortunately seems to consistently be in turmoil, this incentive that’s undoubtedly manifested itself into a movement has prospective presidential forefront runners perturbed, yet it has three specific Democratic presidential candidates' aid.
Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren, both Senators, as well as former Obama administration Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, are among the few of many presidential candidates advocating for this response of history in need restitution.
Contrarily, policies deemed controversial such as The Green New Deal, free college education, healthcare, climate change and gun control measures are being endorsed by Democratic presidential candidates, so this proposed policy of reparation should be no different.
Though this proposed policy of reparation has become more popular, presidential candidates and the general public are in a whirlwind of skepticism as questions of concern come to mind: who, what, why, when, where and how these reparations would be feasible and allocated.
Under the premise of a form of acknowledgment given to the most systematically oppressed and marginalized group in American society is the African-American.
The American Psychological Association suggests, “discrimination and marginalization can serve as a hindrance to upward mobility for ethnic and racial minorities seeking to escape poverty."
Furthermore, these individuals are descendants of ancestors who became the product of slavery for 400 years - as a fellow African-American individual, it's evident that, to this day, my people are still being subjected to this by mass incarceration, police brutality and unfortunately, much more.
More so, this acknowledgment is driven by the American Descendants of Slavery movement (ADOS) through reparations, which is a form of accountability that should have been long accounted for.
In doing so, the ADOS movement is single-handedly adopting a proposed policy that “demands a specific agenda with policy prescriptions that address the losses stemming from the institution of slavery, Jim Crow, redlining, convict leasing, mass incarceration and immigration,” according to the ADOS website.
Though America’s racist history can’t be rewritten or forgotten, the severe mistreatment endured by my ancestors and many others, has left a lasting impression that has created a mass disparity of a wealth gap between the black and white race.
This disparity has forced African-Americans to be deprived of attaining upward mobility and instead be faced with constant adversities; these adversities vary within social class, education, employment, affordable healthcare and housing.
This domino effect of stigma toward a specific race is accredited to systematic inequality. Defined as an inferiority complex of authority over another individual positioned through social, political and economic institutions to perpetuate dominance, systematic inequality is the branch of inequality that’s not explicitly seen - however, it’s frequent.
Over time, this approach has been applicable to minorities who have become subjected to this structural barrier—whether that is lack of access to affordable health care, a quality education, proper housing or a stable job.
In efforts to represent the underrepresented, the ADOS movement is trying to level the playing field as they aim to readdress history.
“ADOS seeks to reclaim/restore the critical national character of the African-American identity and experience, one grounded in our group’s unique lineage, and which is central to our continuing struggle for social and economic justice in the United States,” ADOS said in their online mission statement.
As the movement is off the basis of reparations, this is not the first time America and the term reparations have met—it's a revived topic of discussion.
According to the Jewish Virtual Library, “Three months after the end of World War II, on behalf of the Jewish Agency, submitted to the governments of the US, USSR, UK, and France, a memorandum demanding reparations, restitution and indemnification due to the Jewish people from Germany for its involvement in the Holocaust.”
Meanwhile, steering away from the preconceived notion that reparation is solely in the form of compensation, is partially dismissed by the ADOS movement. In this context, reparation is outlined by the policy’s prescriptions: reinstitute the protections of the Voting Rights Act, have a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure plan targeted to ADOS communities, provide a health care credit to pay for medical coverage for all ADOS and Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act.
However, where there are pros, there are cons and that has essentially resulted in the movement not being fully accepted by the general public. PBS goes in depth as they breakdown the reasoning as to why people oppose the movement.
"Reparations would cost the US government between $5.9 and 14.2 trillion dollars; in 2015, total federal spending equaled $3.8 trillion." PBS continued, "It would be hard to determine who deserves reparations...in the two most major cases of previous reparations—victims of the Holocaust and of Japanese internment—reparations were only given to victims or their heirs, not their descendants."
Those a bit hesitant about having the intended outcome of this movement being solidified, surely have every right. However, this would be a stepping stone in the right direction to actually make real change that could dismantle an oppressive system that has profited and benefited off the backs of minorities.
Though this movement doesn't necessarily erase 400 years of slavery, this would benefit the black community economically and socially, as this is a long overdue incentive that should have been given to us years ago.
However, fueled by prevalent injustices and inequalities, the ADOS movement is evidently ready to make a prominent change, but the American public isn't ready to acknowledge its repeated history as it continues to reflect on the future.
