Twitter

Saturday, May 31, 2014

A Modest Proposal on the Anniversary of the Tulsa Race Riot



British slave ship illustration from 1808 None: Original image housed by Chapin Library of Rare Books, Williams College


Ta-Nehisi Coates  presented an excellent case for reparations   saying, "America will never be whole again until we reckon with our compounding moral debt for 250 years of Slavery, 90 years of Jim Crow, sixty years of separate but equal, and thirty five years of racist housing policies."

On the anniversary of the Tulsa Race Riot I would like to make a modest proposal for those who are loath to call it reparations, let's call it:  #The Descendants of Slaves Educational Emancipation Act.

Under this act all descendants of American slaves would be entitled to scholarships for under graduate and post graduate studies at any institution of higher learning that receives federal funds. All African American student loan debt would be forgiven. Scholarships would provide for tuition, fees, and books. This act and it's provisions would operate similar to GI Bill ,which offers scholarships to dependents of American Disabled Veterans.

While this act doesn't meet the misery, untold affliction, and billions of dollars in lost economic value visited on the descendants of slaves,  it is something this county can do now to demonstrate remorse and serious concern for the condition of African Americans, many of which were/are caused by discriminatory laws  and  public policies in education, housing, and employment.  In other words, America can begin to solve the problem it helped create.  See graphic above.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is no way me you or any other black in 2104 is owed anything!!!! We were NEVER SLAVES!!!! A few alive today may have went through Jim Crowe and that was wrong but none of us deserve to be paid for what happened in the past since we were not affected!!

We could all still be living in huts in Africa but yet we have NUMEROUS opportunities to better yourself buy yet many like you sit around and demand or think we are owed something when we are not!!!

If this program were implemented would the descendents of black slave owners get any money? What about the descendents of the black who helped catch other blacks to be loaded on the ships? What about the black who have no history of slavery? etc etc etc

You and I have never had injustices although our families from 100 years ago did and it never affected us. I know you will say that it did and but whatever our kind are doing they do it to themselves! That could mean they choose to take advantage of the MANY programs to better themselves or they choose to sit on their lazy butts waiting on that check that should NEVER come!!!
If anyone deserves any reparations, it is the AMERICAN INDIAN!!!!!!!! That is all!!!!

Redeye said...

First of all it's 2014, not 2104, secondly I wouldn't expect you to believe the descendants of slaves are owed anything because you aren't a descendant of slaves. If this program were implemented the descendants of slaves could receive a college education at any public supported institution. Native Americans already have this privilege. I am only three generations from slavery, so it hasn't been 100 years but the effects have been generational. You think my great grandfather wouldn't want to pass down a portion of the wages he never received to his heirs? This country was built on the backs of African Americans while white folk were sitting on the porch drinking their mint juleps and enjoying their profits. That is all!!!!

Anonymous said...

Not all white folks were sitting on porches! Many were killed for helping,many died fighting for our freedom! We have many free programs available to us. Many of us just want to sit on our lazy butts and live off of the reparations1 Why not answer my questions? I;ll post again.

If this program were implemented would the descendents of black slave owners get any money? What about the descendents of the black who helped catch other blacks to be loaded on the ships? What about the black who have no history of slavery? Would those who lived on welfare for years have to pay back the money they received before reparations? If this program were implemented would the descendents of black slave owners get any money? What about the descendents of the black who helped catch other blacks to be loaded on the ships? What about the black who have no history of slavery? etc etc etc etc etc etc

It seems based on your writings that you took advantage of your opportunities and so can others instead of living off the Government!

Redeye said...

And not all black folks are sitting are sitting on their butts waiting on a check that should never come. As a matter of fact the #The Descendants of Slaves Educational Emancipation Act would enable black people to get a J-O-B so they could stop sitting on their butts waiting for a check to come.

Under this act all descendants of American slaves would be entitled to scholarships for under graduate and post graduate studies at any institution of higher learning that receives federal funds. All African American student loan debt would be forgiven. Scholarships would provide for tuition, fees, and books. This act and it's provisions would operate similar to GI Bill ,which offers scholarships to dependents of American Disabled Veterans.

Based on your writings it would seem you didn't take advantage of your opportunities and falsely believe blacks are living off the government just because they are black. The only time blacks lived off the government and depended on the government to take care of them was during 400 years of slavery.

Anonymous said...

Nope I speak the truth that many of our kind refuse to hear! Your argument is not valid!! Here is why: K-12 schooling is free and the breakfast and lunch are also free the books, the lap top etc etc are free and yet the predominately black schools continue to fail not only in Huntsville but all across the nation!! Not all of our kind want to learn! Many do not care because they are stuck in the thug life, street life and continue to have an entitlement mentality!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

So your saying they can learn id they go to other so called white schools? That is stupid! If you do not learn at any failing North school then how will the student all of a sudden begin to learn and actually pass class? They won't! Their failing scores will blend with passing scores and the school will still be a passing school and that does not fix the problem! The student that can pass at Butler Johnson MLK Davis Hills etc will also pass at Grissom Huntsville High etc but the failing student will fail no matter what school they are in! That student has to have the "want to" and until they do they will continue to fail!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

You also never answered:

If this program were implemented would the descendents of black slave owners get any money? What about the descendents of the black who helped catch other blacks to be loaded on the ships? What about the black who have no history of slavery? Would those who lived on welfare for years have to pay back the money they received before reparations? If this program were implemented would the descendents of black slave owners get any money? What about the descendents of the black who helped catch other blacks to be loaded on the ships? What about the black who have no history of slavery? etc etc etc etc etc etc

Redeye said...

What part of Under this act all descendants of American slaves would be entitled to scholarships for under graduate and post graduate studies at any institution of higher learning that receives federal funds. All African American student loan debt would be forgiven. Scholarships would provide for tuition, fees, and books. This act and it's provisions would operate similar to GI Bill ,which offers scholarships to dependents of American Disabled Veterans, don't you understand?

Anonymous said...

Yep I do. You are trying to get FREE stuff for us but I'd refuse to take it since I was never held captive! Watch Morgan Freemans interview on C.N.N. at least some of us like him have common since!!!!!!

Redeye said...

No I am not trying to get "free stuff". I'm trying to get paid for 400 years of free labor. And Morgan Freeman is rich. He gets paid for his labor. He didn't drive Miss Daisy for free. Again, I don't expect you to understand or ever agree on this topic because you are not a descendent of the human beings depicted above and your ancestors were never held captive and forced to work for free like the human beings depicted above.

Anonymous said...

I am a descendant! The Morgan Freeman point was that he states that he is black and made it by hard work and he refereed to the interviewee as having made it due to his hard work. The point is you work hard and you can achieve ANYTHING you want to. It has nothing to do with our color!!! He got rich by working and others can follow the same path instead of having the "entitlement mentality" That 400 years of hard labor was never done by me or you or anyone alive today!!!!!!

If we did it based on your theory then whites could get money too. They were also slave but not many in our race will tell that truth!!! SO WHITES SHOULD ALSO GET A MONTHLY CHECK TOO!!! lol

Redeye said...

You are not a descendent of slaves and you will never be a descendent of slaves. Morgan Freeman has nothing to do with this discussion and if you mention him or lie about being the descendant of slaves again it will be deleted. This is your warning.

Under this act all descendants of American slaves would be entitled to scholarships for under graduate and post graduate studies at any institution of higher learning that receives federal funds. All African American student loan debt would be forgiven. Scholarships would provide for tuition, fees, and books. This act and it's provisions would operate similar to GI Bill ,which offers scholarships to dependents of American Disabled Veterans.

" Tell you what; the next time you're walking past the White House or the Capital in Washington, ask yourself the following question:
Who built that?
Both of those buildings were built by human beings who were in bondage - slaves. "

http://redeyesfrontpage.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-rant-by-tom-degan-national-slave.html#links

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Redeye said...

Deliberately interfering with the natural progress of the thread (derailing, redirecting, etc).
Engaging in Internet trolling, including "concern trolling," tone-deaf racial trolling or any other form of trolling behavior.

These actions will result in corrective action facilitated by the blog owner to restore the sanctity and flow of the comments section.