The Long Road to Justice: A Call for Reparations for African Americans – Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper

By KaliMaa Free Do you want to hear a crazy reparation story? After the Haitian revolution in 1807, former French colonists were compensated up to $300 for each enslaved person who was freed. In total, Haiti was ordered to pay 21 billion dollars, which would be equivalent to about 522.58 billion dollars in 2024, in reparations to their former colonizers for their loss of “property” enslaved humans, while formerly enslaved Haitians received nothing (Jackson, 2021). While the specifics of reparations for African Americans may be debated, the moral and practical necessity of providing redress and repair is clear, given the enduring traumas of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, and ongoing violent racism that has hurt Black people and humanity for generations. The moral commitment to reparations can heal past human rights violations and bring racial justice by increasing opportunities for African Americans to build generational wealth. According to Merriam-Webster.com, the definition of reparations is; A. repairing or keeping in repair B. reparations plural : the act of making amends, offering expiation, or giving satisfaction for a wrong or injury : something done or given as amends or satisfaction: the payment of damages specifically : compensation in money or materials payable by...