Should America Pay: Slavery and the Raging Debate on Reparations

Rating:
Summary: Ray Winbush Responds
Review: As editor of "Should America Pay?: Slavery and the Raging Debate on Reparations", I thought it might be helpful to answer one criticism that has been consistent about the book, but is better understood after a little background information is provided.

I would classify the essays in the book under three broad categories: 1) those who favor reparations, 2) those who oppose them and 3) those who simply present the facts about the issue.

Several people have commented about why there are so few articles from those who oppose them. While compiling the book, we asked several persons who were opposed to reparations for Africans in America to write and they simply said there was little legal, empirical or otherwise substantive research about why reparations *shouldn't* be made for Africans in America! Simply put, the arguments *against* reparations for Africans in America simply are weak. and are more emotional than logical. The oppositional essays included in the book are from three writers (and a fourth from an "embedded" David Horowitz in Christopher Hitchens' essay) who are simply the best voices out there.

I approached a major conservative "think tank" (which I will leave nameless) about having one of their senior researchers write an essay for the book and was told that the "issue had been studied" but that "they" (the institution's researchers) could not mount a legal argument *against* reparations that was empirically based.

I think if one follows the "logic" of reparations for Africans in America s/he they will come to the conclusion (as both supporters and opposers to reparations have) that it is based in solid legal theory, international law as well as historical precedent, e.g., Nuremburg.

Finally, "Should America Pay?" was recently submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court as a "friends of the court" document involving the University of Michigan affirmative action case because of its comprehensive inclusion of views concerning compensatory measures for Africans in America. It is a book that if one reads it, will provide strong historical and legal evidence for the unpunished crime against humanity in the United States --- slavery. Read it with an open mind and you will see that not only are reparations due Africans in America, they will happen because it is the logical step in moving toward an honest discussion about racism (white supremacy) in the United States.

Rating:
Summary: Ray Winbush Responds
Review: As editor of "Should America Pay?: Slavery and the Raging Debate on Reparations", I thought it might be helpful to answer one criticism that has been consistent about the book, but is better understood after a little background information is provided.

I would classify the essays in the book under three broad categories: 1) those who favor reparations, 2) those who oppose them and 3) those who simply present the facts about the issue.

Several people have commented about why there are so few articles from those who oppose them. While compiling the book, we asked several persons who were opposed to reparations for Africans in America to write and they simply said there was little legal, empirical or otherwise substantive research about why reparations *shouldn't* be made for Africans in America! Simply put, the arguments *against* reparations for Africans in America simply are weak. and are more emotional than logical. The oppositional essays included in the book are from three writers (and a fourth from an "embedded" David Horowitz in Christopher Hitchens' essay) who are simply the best voices out there.

I approached a major conservative "think tank" (which I will leave nameless) about having one of their senior researchers write an essay for the book and was told that the "issue had been studied" but that "they" (the institution's researchers) could not mount a legal argument *against* reparations that was empirically based.

I think if one follows the "logic" of reparations for Africans in America s/he they will come to the conclusion (as both supporters and opposers to reparations have) that it is based in solid legal theory, international law as well as historical precedent, e.g., Nuremburg.

Finally, "Should America Pay?" was recently submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court as a "friends of the court" document involving the University of Michigan affirmative action case because of its comprehensive inclusion of views concerning compensatory measures for Africans in America. It is a book that if one reads it, will provide strong historical and legal evidence for the unpunished crime against humanity in the United States --- slavery. Read it with an open mind and you will see that not only are reparations due Africans in America, they will happen because it is the logical step in moving toward an honest discussion about racism (white supremacy) in the United States.

Rating:
Summary: Compulsory Reading
Review: Dr. Winbush should be applauded for compiling and editing this wealth of information for AMERICA. This text should be incorporated into the American History classes across our nation.
We talk about the "holocaust" in all classrooms, an event that didn't happen in "our country". Yet, we don't want to ADDRESS and REPAIR the effects of slavery, something that took place in our own backyard.
This book dispels the misconceptions associated with reparations in that it cites ways that reparations could be paid such as, educational grants, providing health care and land or property grants, not just lump sums to individuals as most people think.
This is a must read for anyone seeking to learn more about the reparations movement.

Rating:
Summary: Moving Rhetoric and Great Passion but Disappointing Analysis
Review: I am very interested in the issue of reparations andpurchased this book based on the dust jacket blurbs and looking at the table of contents. While I found it very informative in some respects, I was quite disappointed and had to struggle to rate it three stars. My disappointments concerned three different issues, discussed below following a description of the book.

This is a collection of essays accompanied by thirty eight pages of documents with relevance to the reparations issue. The book is organized thematically, with sections providing historical context, a legal overview, organizational initiatives, opinion pieces, and alternative methodologies. Many of the selections are quite short; at one extreme some are heavily footnoted and scholarly in format, at the other extreme some are conversational in nature. The book is quite easy to read, and while I read it in its entirety (but not in sequence), each selection stands on its own. Its strength is that Raymond Winbush, the editor has provided in one place a meaningful and diverse introduction to the literature on the subject for those who are interested in the arguments supporting reparations. He includes many of early advocates of reparations articulately presenting the case.

My first complaint is that its strength is also its weakness. This is not a book that examines the issue in an unbiased manner, but rather a sermon being preached to the choir. Despite the book jacket proclaiming that the there would be sufficient counterarguments to provide balance, this is definitely not the case. There are only three such articles (Armstrong Williams, Shelby Steele, and John McWhorter) presenting a countervailing point of view, and they are among the briefest in the collection, totaling 27 pages out of 366. In my view, this is indicative of the same sort of tokenism rightly decried by civil rights advocates. Winbush clearly had the right to produce a pro reparations book, but don't sell it under false pretenses and advertise it as representing both sides of the debate. There is no meaningful debate between these covers.

My second criticism is that despite the apperance of scholarship, most of the articles lacked real substance and analysis. They were wonderful at presenting historical context and had substantial descriptive and in many cases emotional content, but this cannot substitute for academic rigor. Advocacy, no matter how forceful and heart felt, cannot effectively replace convincing argumentation. Because of their accurate depiction and understanding of the evils and horrors of slavery, many of the authors in this collection are such true believers in their cause that they have lost all objectivity. For instance, Tim Wise concludes that "innocence ... in the mouths of persons born in the United States is beyond interesting ... it is stunningly infantile ... [it ] is [in fact] beyond the comprehension of the rational mind". This sort of rhetoric may make one feel good and win loud cheers from your allies but is unlikely to help you engage the interest of those undecided in the legitimacy of your claimed remedy for the agreed upon historical injustices.

My third disappointment was very articulately summarized in various ways by Armstrong, McWhorter and Steele. The essence is that the reparations argument is based on three assumptions, all of which are often assailed as racist in other contexts. First, that blacks are basically a homogeneous group rather than individuals. (This is of course necessary for class action lawsuits or political redress to be successful.) Second, and most destructive, that blacks cannot escape their victimhood caused by the continuation of pervasive racism in America today. Third, that blacks are Africans forced to live in America, not Americans.

I will not take time to comment on the historical inaccuracies and popular misconceptions in some of these articles, because while disappointing they are not central to the discussion in any instance. This book is worth reading both for background and revealing the mindset of the advocates. E.g. one of the most interesting articles was originally published in Harper's Magazine, and is a fascinating discussion among four of the top class action lawyers in the country. They unwittingly reveal the weakness of their legal case through the following interchange; they "love big stuff', don't want to lose on a technicality", need to find "elegant solutions to major national social problems", will "need help politically... since we don't have the law squarely on our side" and thus the first question should not be who are the plaintiffs, but "Who are the defendants,i.e. who pays?" That is, if they can find some deep pockets and earn their fees, then they'll try to build a case that appears to solve the major problem of slavery and residual racism. If you want a book that examines the current state of race relations in America in a much more hopeful and helpful light and provides real insights and decries the cult of victimhood, I suggest that you read the essays in AUTHENTICALLY BLACK by John McWhorter (see my Amazon review of 3/20/03) in addition to this book.

Rating:
Summary: Mostly for the supporters of this concept
Review: No matter the argument, no matter the highly intellectualized words, no matter the mantra of a "A wrong done" A people harmed! and money is due: the idea of financial payment for slavery is abhorent. Remember that Black Americans pay taxes as well so they, are in reality, paying themselves. But money is not the main issue here, there are those, both Black and White, who want to either wallow in perpetual anger or in perpetual guilt. If we wish to study the practice of slavery we should first begin with the Africans themselves..

Rating:
Summary: My Opinion and Solution
Review: Should America Pay? edited by Raymond Winbush, is a book that is long overdue. Finally the case for reparations for the centuries of brutality, deprivation, and death suffered by millions of African descendants in the United States has been made openly and honestly by white and black writers. Dr. Winbush, has selected a distinguished group of scholars, academicians, and other intellectual luminaries and professionals to present what turns out to be a compelling case for reparations for African Americans. The book makes clear that remedial actions must be taken to begin to repair the state supported exploitation and subsequent damage in every area of African American life including - health (mental and physical), education, land ownership, and in the political and economic arenas to name a few. The hardships and savagery inflicted on millions of African captives forced to work as slaves in the US is clearly outlined in the book. Discussion in the book also focuses on why and how the surviving descendants are still suffering from the ongoing effects of what has been to date, a perpetually racist society.
Most importantly, the book outlines solutions and some of the programs and projects reparations funding should be spent on in order to begin to repair the damge sustained and transmitted for generations.

As a result of corporate control of the mass media, few Americans know that the question of whether or not reparations are owed to African Americans was resolved by the General Assembly of the United Nations at the August - September 2001 World Conference Against Racism held in Durban, South Africa (the US, by the way, walked out on this conference). The UN declared that the Transatlantic Slave Trade was a CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY and was ALWAYS a crime (despite claims that it was "legal" at the time). For crimes against humanity there is no statute of limitations. The UN Program of Action clearly states that reparations and remedial actions are in order and in fact long overdue. So Should America Pay? The verdict is in. The 168 coontries attending the UN conference stated a resounding YES in the final documents available at the UN websites.

So should America read Should America Pay? Yes! People in this country need to know the truth about their history and then decide if slavery was wrong. For those who think slavery was OK, the UN does not agree with you. For those who feel slavery was wrong, read the book and find out just how wrong it was, then decide if justice should be done to rectify what even President Bush agrees was a crime. After centuries of human rights violations, there can be no true peace and brotherhood between the blacks and whites in this society until the score is justly settled on the slavery and racism issue once and for all. Read this book and find out why reparations for African Americans is like Sam Cooke sang: "a change that's got to come".

Rating:
Summary: Drinking from a single fountain - America comes face to face
Review: SHOULD AMERICA PAY?:
Slavery and the Raging Debate on Reparations
Edited by Raymond A. Winbush, Ph.D

I really should have read this book. The fact that I know and am a fan of the editor, not withstanding.

The book " SHOULD AMERICA PAY?: Slavery and the Raging Debate on Reparations" is challenging, informative and insightful. The contributors were thoughtful and experienced. The documents of important legal ramifications are well worth the cost of the book itself to enhance a home library. What makes the book outstanding, however, is the clarity in which Winbush crafted his recognition of previously understood factors. One is that that the issue of reparations is complex for both Black and white Americans and for people on both sides of the issue and that reparations for American slaves of Africa has international contemporary relevance and world implications. If the issues presented in this book were to be successfully mediated, worlds Black and white, African and non-African, Western and European will be turned upside down. Until I finished reading this book I never understood how scary the notion reparations really should be. Nor did I understand how logical it should be. The book offers carefully balanced views, but extremely diverse voices within each of those groups.

Winbush and this focused collection place the issue of reparation in a cogent legal, cultural, global, political and human landscape. It is not too intellectual that it forgets that the slavers lashes still sting yet, not too soft that the complex legal and economic logistics are lost.

It provides the stuffing for both personal and collective challenges to the notion of oppression and white supremacy and how it works in this country, as well in other oppressive, inhumane commercial and cultural ventures. While you may not know what are the compromises that you might want to make on your personal feelings about reparations, once you have read the book, there is no more room for decisive internal arguing and personal political denial.

Shelby Steele, one of the contributors to the anthology reveals an intellectual sharpness to which we have become accustomed, while at the same time, a Black uncertainty that we already suspected. His commentary is as if we were listening to the morning shave dialogue between a man and a stranger who involuntarily appears in the mirror. On the other hand, if you want an iron shut case with the IRS, the man to crunch your numbers is Kevin Outterson, a tax law specialist, who gives hard numbers on the cost of slavery. His presence in this compilation gives Winbush thumbs up for having the insight to understand that most people need the cost/benefit analysis as the infrastructure to even consider the concept. A relatively new comer to the larger public eye, Christopher Hitchens seems to have perfected the cogency of the reparation opposition argument

This book should be read by every person on the planet who says that they have an interest in human or civil rights, American history or justice. It should be required reading for ninth graders and should be in the home library of any family that wishes to be enlightened about the role of history in current events.

Once an individual understands the history of human rights in the landscape of the history of American slave trade, the "no-question" of reparation becomes more manageable and less bulky. This book is a tremendous start in configuring such a context. Does it go far enough, does it compromise the brutality of slavery and its continuing legacy? Does it promise to be the political key to the greater global dialogue? No and yes. What this book does do is to whet the appetite more than enough to entice the reader to think that there is more here than an overwhelming outrageousness or the quick and easy dismissal of the "new Black Mau-Mau".

I walked away, validating most of what I already had decided about my position on reparations. Reading the book made my position less cluttered and less tainted by commercial media accounts, outmoded and ill-informed political and romanticized notions of the challenge and meaning of the reparation issue. It also helped me to unveil and shrug off the shackles and remaining remnants created by years of segregated Southern school racist history texts and "Negrotized" cultural education. Such a background easily affords to loose the uneasiness of embracing and facing the shame and injury. Reading this book, I feel more the ready to defend my position and to articulate the real case for reparation and stand confidently on the question and argument of whether America should pay.

Finally, tears ran down my face as I read the contribution made by Congressman John Conyers, Jr. I wept in gratitude and in awe for his unwavering compassion and love for Black people. He believed in us, when we sometimes forgot to believe in ourselves. We sometimes forget what activist like him forfeit to speak our pain. And for my Father who would have marveled that real people, in real places have given real and serious thought to the question of the slaves.

Kudos offered to Raymond Winbush. He shows insight and vision; the gift of listening and hearing and the touch of a maestros well-loved baton in bringing together the diverse voices important to this issue. It is not altogether easy to be the mediator in an argument in the family when the family consists of millions of members.

Rating:
Summary: My Opinion and Solution
Review: The author of this book does indeed have a preacher-choir mentality in his attempts to justify reperations to african americans. the problem i have with this notion is that 1) contrary to popular opinion, middle and lower class blacks would benefit very little from this class action lawsuit. granted, Johnny Cochran would benefit and Jesse Jackson would benefit, but blacks as a whole would not benefit much at all and by the time this lawsuit DESTROYS any hope of true diversity in light of martin luther king's message, blacks would end up feeling victimized yet again. 2) another problem with the reperations argument is that it fails to take into account the actions of the government in trying to help blacks get back on to their feet. these actions include the civil war and the creation of the welfare system. there is great value of both these things that reperations fails to account for.

THE SOLUTION:

In my opinion, the issue of reperations must be dealt with but not in terms of money. Personally, i believe there is a great risk of ruining any shread of dignity that blacks have left. i believe that blacks should be given land to resolve this dispute in a manner similar to which the indians were given land. this method would greatly lessen the problem of ghettos and the inner city crime as well as allow blacks to self govern themselves on a community basis. the government owns millions of acres in the midwest and would have no problem allocating much of it to african americans. through this land allocation, blacks would benefit as a people and not as individuals. that is the ultimate goal that must not be lost sight of.