Reparations

Reparations
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Reparations
The history of the Americas is one of violence, exploitation, and oppression, particularly for indigenous peoples and people of African descent. This history has left deep scars on individuals, families, and communities, who have suffered economic, cultural, and psychological losses as a result of historical injustices. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the idea of reparations to address these historical injustices and promote justice and equity. Bryan Stevenson’s film, Slavery to Mass Incarceration, argues that reparations should be paid to individuals, families, and communities who have been traumatized and exploited by the labor codes and practices established in the period after 1492. This paper will examine the question of whether reparations will serve justice, by exploring the losses that must be compensated and the form that reparations should take.
Forms of Losses
Economic Losses
One of the primary losses that must be compensated through reparations is economic loss. The history of the Americas is one of forced labor, slavery, and exploitation, particularly for indigenous peoples and people of African descent. This exploitation has had long-lasting economic impacts, including the loss of land, property, and wealth. In the “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” Harrier A. Jacobs (1861) details how the various slaveholders conspired to make use of religion to prevent slaves from revolting or demanding their rights. In a separate service, the churches were used to instill the ideology that the slaves were serving their masters as commanded by the Lord and they should repress various thoughts about agitating for their rights as that would be like taking advice from Satan (Jacob, 1861). Jacob (1861) notes that the hour of singing that the slaves enjoyed during church service did not provide enough sustenance for the slaves who were forced to work for the slaveholders without receiving any form of wages.
A letter was written by King Mbemba of Congo to the King of Portugal highlighting the economic losses that the African countries experienced from slave trading. In the letter, King Mbemba noted that his kingdom was losing most of its labor capital as slave merchants capture the healthy citizens of the country and took them to the New World (Davidson, 1964). The letter alludes to the fact that most of the people who were captured and sold as slaves were economically productive and their labor should have attracted remuneration from the slaveholders. Given that the slaves were not renumerated for their labor services, it is evident that the slaves experienced economic losses when they were shipped to the United States. The ancestors of African American in the United States contributed to labor that was essential to the development of the country but they were not renumerated for their labor. Thus, it would be just to claim that African Americans are economically disadvantaged in the view that they did not receive an inheritance from their ancestors.
Cultural Losses
In addition to economic losses, historical injustices have also resulted in significant cultural losses. Indigenous cultures, languages, and traditions have been eroded and suppressed as a result of colonization and exploitation. Similarly, African cultural traditions were suppressed and erased during the period of slavery and segregation. One significant way through which the African American experienced cultural losses was through the loss of lives of slaves which was usually perpetrated by the Whites. In the text “The Old United States,” James (1938) notes that the slaveholders’ response to any form of revolt from the slaves involved the death of the slaves once they were cornered. Instead of the slaveholders negotiating with the revolting slaves, they would shoot them or hang them. Consequently, there was a significant loss of life that was accompanied by a cultural loss.
Notably, the cultural richness of slaves can be implied from the autobiography of Olaudah Equiano describing his home country of Benin. Equiano (1789) describe Benin as a rich and fruitful country populated by dancers, musicians, and poets. According to the description, the Kingdom of Benin was a culturally-rich country that would celebrate major events through public dances marked by many musical instruments. The autobiography also described the cooking practices of his native country as well as the cultural practices. Notably, the autobiography reveals the cultural richness of the slaves who were kidnapped against their will and forced to become slaves in the United States. When slaves were forcibly brought to different parts of the world, they brought with them their cultural practices, languages, religions, and beliefs. The oppression and violence inflicted upon them often resulted in the loss of this rich cultural heritage.
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