FREEDMEN ABSOLUTE

I was assisted in this reposting and commentary by a bottle of Josh Cellars – Reserve Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon 2020. A four point – under $20.00 beauty that definitely outperforms its modest price. Strong. Bold entrance. Moderate tannins. Elegantly dry. Moderate acidity. Leading in with oak, vanilla, and leather. A sustain of blackberries, caramel, and smoke. Ending in red dark fruits, earth, cherries, and chocolate. Medium Sweet – heavy hazelnut finish.

“If the concept of God has any validity or any use, it can only be to make us larger, freer, and more loving. If God cannot do this, then it is time we got rid of him…”

James Baldwin – an excerpt from “The Fire Next Time”

Cynthia McDonald composed and spoke this speech at the “Women of Color Beyond Belief” conference in Chicago on September 25, 2021. It was originally entitled “The Secular Case for Reparations: Black Economic Justice from an Atheist’s View.” This article was originally published in the Vol. 38 No. 10 December 2021 edition of “Freethought Today.”

GREETINGS

I want to first say that I am honored and humbled to have been invited by the great Mandisa Thomas to address you. I never thought I’d be asked to come before such an accomplished group of people to speak about something that I am so extremely passionate about. Finding the Black Nonbelievers was integral because it helped me find a community of other Black Atheists, skeptics, agnostics, and humanists and let me know I am not alone.

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A Quote: James Baldwin (author, poet, activist and sharp critic of the Christian church) once said, “I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” He also quite profoundly said: “To accept one’s past – one’s history – is not the same as drowning in it; it is learning how to use it. An invented past can never be used; it cracks and crumbles under the pressures of life like clay in a season of drought.”

Activism And Citizenship

Activism in this space happens because, although one may love the land they are from, it does not mean the land has always loved them. It also means that if I do love this land, I must speak up when it is wrong and has wrought harm to its First Citizens. I use the term “First Citizens” not as an insult to those who have come before or who have immigrated after America was established. I use that term because what we know and how we determine citizenship was as a result of the ending of slavery and the adoption of the 14th Amendment.

The opening sentence of Section One of the 14th Amendment defines U.S. citizenship as: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” There are certain rights that come with citizenship such as:

• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of the press
• Freedom of religion
• Freedom of assembly
• Right to petition the government
• Freedom of liberty
• The pursuit of happiness

Citizenship also comes with responsibilities such as:

• Supporting the Constitution
• Defending the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic
• Staying informed of the issues affecting your community
• Participating in the democratic process (example: voting)
• Respecting and obeying federal, state, and local laws
• Respecting the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others

African Americans [Freedmen] who were either enslaved or the descendants of the enslaved have kept the responsibilities of what is expected of a citizen, yet the rights and privileges that come with such a title have not always been extended to us. African Americans have supported and defended the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, because we have fought in every war (certainly from the first to the last and everything in between). I, myself, am a daughter of a Korean War veteran and a great granddaughter of a World War I veteran.

African Americans stay informed of the issues that affect our community because we are still living under the legacies of slavery and Jim Crow. African Americans have participated in every election since we were given the right to vote, yet we still face voting suppression in numerous states and municipalities. African Americans obey the laws of the land, yet we are incarcerated [and unjustly targeted] more than five times the rate of whites, and at least ten times the rate in five states.

According to a study, Black drivers are about twenty percent more likely to be stopped than white drivers relative to their share of the residential population. The study also found that once stopped, Black drivers were searched about one-and-a-half to two times as often as white drivers, while they were [much] less likely to be carrying drugs, guns, or other illegal contraband compared to their white peers (illegal contraband plantings by white policemen on Black drivers is common). Also, according to a different study, Black Americans are 3.23 times more likely than white Americans to be killed by police. This is not a secret to anyone.

Generational Wealth

Another indicator of the privileges that come with citizenship is the opportunity to create and pass on generational wealth. Right before the March on Washington in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addressed a group of activists and organizers. He reminded them of the purpose of the march in the nation’s capital. Often, most people think Dr. King was there so he could speak about his dream. Components of that speech are often misused, misquoted or misrepresented. King reminded his folks that this march is about gaining full citizenship, which includes a proper share of wealth and economic inclusion (that is – closing the racial wealth gap).

He Said:

“At the same time when America refused to give the Negro any land, through an act of Congress, our government was giving away millions of acres of land in the West and the Midwest. It meant that it was willing to undergird its white peasants from Europe with an economic floor. But not only did they give the land, they built land-grant colleges with government money to teach them how to farm.

Not only that, they provided county agents to further their expertise in farming. Not only that, they provided low interest rates in order for them to mechanize their farms. Not only that, today many of these people are receiving millions of dollars in subsidies not to farm – and they are the very people telling the Black man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps. Now this is what we are faced with and this is the reality. Now, when we come to Washington in this campaign, we’re coming to get our check.”

King was referring to a policy called the Homestead Act of 1862. This particular policy lasted for over 114 years. The government granted more than 170 million acres of land while the law was in effect. (The passage of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 repealed the Homestead Act in the 48 contiguous states, but it did grant a 10-year extension on claims in Alaska.) By 1934, well over 1.5 million white families – both American-born and immigrant – eventually profited from it. And, although the process was rife with [unprosecuted] fraud, as many homesteaders sold their plots to corporations, the original claimants pocketed the income from land sales, establishing a basis of wealth and capital.

About 6,000 Black families were able to take advantage of the policy, but most of them lost their land through land theft, lynchings and the like. Enforcement of previous policies such as “The Oregon Land Donation Act of 1850” barred Blacks from owning land and real estate. In 1866, shortly after the end of the Civil War, the “Southern Homestead Act” (SHA) was supposed to function much like the original Act. During the first year of this Act, unoccupied Southern land was offered exclusively to African Americans and loyal whites, but after 1867, even landless former Confederates applied. you can guess what happened afterward.

This one Act of Congress has approximately 48 million white Americans living today off the wealth from that one policy. Again – One Policy. Companies such as Cargill and Purdue exist because of the Homestead Act. Special PWI colleges such as USC (University of South Carolina) only exist because of the Homestead Act.

Policy And Wealth Creation

The United States has used federal policy countless times to create wealth in predominately white communities. Policies such as the New Deal largely went to whites and excluded Blacks. The GI Bill was enacted toward the end of World War II. This policy was to give economic assistance to veterans, such as getting a house, investing in a business, or paying for college. Unfortunately, the management of this policy was given to the states, so Black soldiers coming home from war were often denied this benefit and never told why. An example is the state of Mississippi only granted two Black veterans the GI Bill when it was first enacted. Some 1.2 million Black men served in the U.S. military during the war. There were 237,000 soldiers from Mississippi and a large contingency of those soldiers were Black.

Why does this matter? Oftentimes, the question is raised: “What is wrong with Black people?” What about Black-on-Black crime? What about Black gangs? What about the marriage rate being low? What about Chicago? What about this and what about that? The “what-aboutisms” are what I like to call the symptoms of the deep and never-ending disease. I also like to call them “work avoidance.”

Since I hit you with a little history of economic injustice, let us delve into the wonderful world of statistics. Currently, Black Americans own less than two percent of the wealth in the United States. The median income of an African American [Freedman] household is roughly $30K to $43K versus the median income of a white household being nearly $66K per year. The estimated median wealth of Black households is $36,000 (not liquid), while white households estimated their parents’ median wealth at $150,000. A Black household median wealth for the head of that household with a bachelor’s degree is roughly $15,000 less than the head of a household that is white without a high school diploma.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, African Americans’ median household income and wealth is lower than that of ALL racial and ethnic groups. The myth that African Americans have this spending power of $1.3 trillion is a solid fallacy. That number was based on self-reporting surveys and the combined incomes of African Americans for approximately a year. If you did not know by now, income does not equate to wealth and it for damned sure does not mean buying power.

Reparations Defined

So – What Now? How is this going to be solved? The only way this is going to be solved is by how the government always solved the issue of groups of people coming into wealth: Policy. Massive economic policy – and that policy specifically targeted towards the injured group is defined as Reparations. This can only be achieved through what leading Reparations scholar and Duke University Professor William Darity Jr. calls ARC – or Acknowledgment, Redress, and Closure.

So, before we go into ARC, I think it is important to define Reparations:

Merriam-Webster generally defines Reparations as… A: a repairing or keeping in repair – the act of making amends, offering expiation, or giving satisfaction for a wrong or injury… or B: something done or given as amends or satisfaction [repair and redress]. The Encyclopedia Britannica defines Reparations as a levy on a defeated country forcing it to pay some of the war costs of the winning countries.

Reparations were levied on the Central Powers after World War I to compensate the Allies for some of their war costs. Another example of the later definition is when Germany was forced to pay reparations to Jewish Holocaust victims and their descendants if the direct victim did not survive. Other countries such as France and Croatia, who were also complicit in this behavior also paid reparations.

No Reparations Paid To Freedmen

When the Civil War ended, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman met with former slaves who were pastors and other leaders in their community and asked them what they wanted. They told him they wanted land that they could work and farm on their own. On January 16, 1865, during the American Civil War, he issued Special Field Order No.15, wartime order to allot land to to some freed families in plots of land no larger than forty acres. That wartime order was rescinded by the government and the land was redistributed back to the former slave owners after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln when Andrew Johnson became president. According to an article in Yes! magazine, those land grants alone would have been worth at least $6.4 trillion dollars today. Another economics Ph.D. candidate told me recently, those land grants would have been worth over $19 trillion today.

America has actually acknowledged its malfeasance. On July 29, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives issued an apology to Black Americans [Freedmen] for the national institution of slavery, and the subsequent Jim Crow laws that for years discriminated against Blacks as second-class citizens in American society. U.S. Representative Steve Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee, issued the Resolution (H.Res.194 – introduced 2/27/2007 – 110th Congress) and it had 120 co-sponsors. Along with the acknowledgement, President Joseph Biden recently signed into law Juneteenth as a national holiday, acknowledging the last of the enslaved to be told in Galveston, Texas, that the war was over and they were free.

So – the United States is already very aware of its complacency, and despite the recent laws in various states banning the teaching of critical race theory (or what I call teaching actual history) it would not negate the fact that America has done a deep injustice and harm to Black Americans.

America Is Liable

America is also liable for other policies that caused great harm to our community, such as convict leasing, land theft, domestic terrorism, lynching, redlining, the war on drugs, mass incarceration, multiple Black towns where innocent residents were massacred and whole Black townships were drowned until they were deep under water (like Lake Lanier), to environmental racism such as Flint, Michigan’s leaded water. Or the very poisoned Cancer Alley in Louisiana. All of this red, fresh, and dripping blood (and I mean ALL OF IT) is on America’s hands only. And we have yet to see any attempt or even near attempt for redress and repair.

What does redress and repair look like? Dr. William Darity, the professor from Duke University, stated in an article from BU Today (a magazine published by Boston University), “Redress is the actual form that restitution might take – and I’ve argued that in any program of Reparations, it’s important that restitution must include in some significant way direct payments to eligible recipients.”

So – who is eligible? Or who should be eligible? Dr. Darity’s eligibility criteria (which I agree with) is a person who identifies as Black or African American (or Negro, or Colored) for at least 12 years before a Reparations program is enacted and can trace their lineage to the institution of chattel slavery through at least one ancestor. Clear and simple. Some have argued that this is an arduous task.

I am here to tell you it is not.

According to the Smithsonian, before 1965, Black people of foreign birth residing in the United States were nearly invisible. Nearly not there. According to the 1960 census, their percentage of the population was to the right of the decimal point. But after 1965, men and women of African descent entered the United States in ever-increasing numbers. During the 1990’s, some 900,000 Black immigrants came from the Caribbean; another 400,000 came from Africa; still others came from Europe and the Pacific Rim. Also, as an anecdote, not only am I a descendant from United States Chattel Slavery, I am also a descendant of Black immigrants. First, second and so on generations of Black immigrants clearly know from where we hail.

The United States census from 1870 is the first census to name all former slaves. Using census records constitutes indirect evidence to the institution of Chattel Slavery. Also, it is noteworthy that there are still other documents, such as bills of sale and other slave records – that survived. Dr. Darity proposes in the book he co-wrote with folklorist A. Kirsten Mullen, From Here to Equality – Reparations for Black Americans in the 21st Century (ISBN: 1469671204), that part of a Reparations program would be for the federal government to set up an office or bureau (with branches established nationally) to help those who have claim to find and certify substantiating documents to confirm their lineage to Chattel Slavery.

At the heart of any Reparations program should be to address and close the racial wealth gap. As mentioned earlier, I shared historical examples of multiple heavy infractions that caused this wide chasm that exists today. Only direct payments, economic building programs, and implementing real protections can address this macro crisis that Black Freedmen descendants face. As stated, Black Americans [Freedmen] own less than two percent of the wealth in the United States. During the pandemic in 2020, 41 percent of closed businesses were Black-owned. This is a direct result of not having capital to keep one’s business afloat during perilous times. It is paramount to create a proper economic floor for African Americans.

A Discriminatory Economic System

The System? According to AmericanProgress.org: “The persistent Black-white wealth gap is the result of a discriminatory economic system that keeps Black households from achieving the American dream. This system has always made it difficult for Black households to acquire and keep capital, and this lack of capital has created a persistently large racial wealth disparity, as African Americans have had less wealth to pass on to the next generation than white households.”

There are several other obstacles to building wealth:

+ I. “Black workers often face labor market discrimination, including being steered toward occupations that are less secure, lower paying, and have fewer benefits and career advancement opportunities. These systematic obstacles to gaining access to good jobs are especially prevalent in the private sector.”

+ II. “Opportunities to contribute to and benefit from innovation and advancements in technologies – and thus building wealth in high value-added industries and occupations – are also limited for African American innovators and entrepreneurs, as federal government research funding regularly excludes them. Black households end up with lower incomes and less wealth than white households as a result.”

+ III. “The financial system strips Black households of their wealth by denying them access to the same investment opportunities and affordable credit that white households have. This systematic bias makes it more difficult for Black households to participate in the stock market, to start and grow their own business, and to put away a rainy-day fund, while they carry costlier debt such as car loans, credit card balances, and payday loans at the same time.”

+ IV. “Black households continue to face housing market discrimination, which makes it harder for them to own a home in the first place, and their houses appreciate less in value than those of white households.”

+ V. “Additional factors such as systematically worse treatment in education, health care, and in the criminal itself – criminal justice system that also feeds into the persistent Black-white wealth gap.”

+ VI. “Amid the fallout from the pandemic, state and local governments have made deep cuts to public sector jobs. Black workers have seen economic gains thanks to their hard work in the public sector. These income and wealth gains are now at risk again. In September 2020, 211,000 fewer Black workers had a job in the public sector than was the case in September 2019.”

A Reparations program should encompass all of these factors to create a pathway of making a specifically injustified group of people whole. Support for education, support for entrepreneurial activity, and some resources that should properly go to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) is absolutely necessary. But the preponderance of the funds must go to individual recipients. And they must go in such a way that we, in fact, eliminate the racial wealth gap. Gone. That should be the primary objective of the Reparations project. Point Blank.

So now let’s discuss closure. Malcolm X said: “If you stick a knife in my back nine inches and pull it out six inches, that’s not progress. If you pull it all the way out, that’s not progress… They haven’t pulled the knife out; they won’t even admit that it’s there.” According to Dr. Darity: “Closure is an agreement on the part of both parties – the culpable party and the victimized party – that the debt has been paid. But I want to be clear that closure in that sense does not mean forgetting.” An important dimension of Reparations programs must address issues concerning the memory of the events that led to the Reparations commitment.”

Unfortunately, a proper conversation about closure cannot be had until the metaphoric knife is acknowledged in the body politic that matters. We have seen “piecemeal policies” proposed, signed into law, benign neglect and the like. Affirmative action, which originally was a policy to help African Americans be added to more work and education spaces, has mostly assisted white women.

The 13th Amendment [amazingly] still allows for the enslavement of convicted felons and one is already aware of the disproportionate rate of Black men in U.S. prisons. Black men are roughly 6 percent of the population but they make up roughly 41 percent of the prison population.

How?

Even with the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King said: “Until we commit ourselves to ensuring that the underclass is given justice and opportunity, we will continue to perpetuate the anger and violence that tears the soul of this nation. I fear I am integrating my people into a burning house.”

Faith Hasn’t Helped

Continuing in the spirit of King, oftentimes faith leaders are credited with leading in the space of social justice. But what good has it done for us? Even though one cannot deny the organizing like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Black wealth is still at the bottom. Despite the ills we as a group have experienced, God is awfully silent concerning our plight, even though, according to a recent Pew Research post, 79 percent of Black Americans identify as Christian. Blacks are still disproportionately killed by police. Black infant mortality is still 2.3 times higher than whites. At every social and economic statistic, Blacks still find themselves at the bottom except for one: our “God” belief.

Black theology has gone through periods of speaking on redemption of the Negro, liberation of the Negro, and as of late – the prosperity of the Negro. Redemption of the Negro often spoke of laying down one’s burdens by the riverside, or when one gets to heaven they will no longer be fettered by pain in this life. Liberation was often spoke on principally as a moral reaction to poverty and social injustice. It attempts to liberate people from [Black] marginalized communities from multiple forms of political, social, economic, and religious subjugation. And views Christian theology as a theology of liberation – a rational study of the being of God in the world in light of the existential situation of an oppressed community, relating the forces of liberation to the essence of the gospel, which is Jesus Christ.

And the prosperity theology views the Bible as a contract between God and humans: “If humans have faith in God, he will deliver security and prosperity.” This doctrine emphasizes the importance of personal empowerment, proposing that it is God’s will for his people to be blessed. Atonement (reconciliation with God) is interpreted to include the alleviation of sickness and poverty, which are viewed as curses to be broken by faith. This is believed to be achieved through donations of money, visualization, affirmations, and positive confession.

There are all kinds and forms of apologetics to persuade Black people to continue to believe in and serve a silent and apathetic God that has done nothing to change the position of Black Americans. That same God allows us to be pushed around by other groups. I’d conjecture he is also quite absent at the Southern border as well.

Solutions Are Needed

It’s time for a new approach. I had a discourse with a Black conservative who told me the reason for all these abysmal statistics is because of how we think. I cannot completely dismiss that. But hoping, wishing, and praying for a deity to save our community is a bad and totally nonproductive approach. How about this: I want to believe as many true things as possible and not believe the things that are not true.

Any civil rights leader who was effective in their advocacy has taught us that none of the things we desire on the macro level can be achieved without a political solution on the micro level. Voting is important, but it is not the full stop of political engagement. Who writes their congressperson today? What about calling their office? How about going to town halls where you can engage politicians directly? And the engagement is not just on the federal level. There are state and municipal representatives that need engagement, as well, because all politics are local.

Speaking on the need for proper economic justice is a herculean task, especially since the issues that Black people face are long and deep. Although it may seem insurmountable, it is still a task that should not be ignored or forgotten. We as a people will not survive without commitment from the powers over us to intervene. They won’t do it, though, without our voices. It can’t just be African Americans [Freedmen] saying this, either. It has to be a critical mass of all peoples recognizing and putting hand to plow to make this a reality.

I – as a Black woman, can only do so much. It takes a village to make this happen. And please recognize that the upliftment of the Black [Freedmen] community is an uplift for America. Every transformative legislation that affects the social and economic make-up for America is because Black people said, “enough is enough.”

Time for reciprocity.

Thank You.

END OF SPEECH

Cynthia McDonald writes a blog (“Freedmen Health and Wellness”) which speaks on the social determinants of health of Black Americans who descend from chattel slavery. She also hosts a socio-political podcast (“The 13 Percent”), a pop culture podcast (“Chronicles of a Revolutionary Nerd”) and is a regular host on the “Non-Prophets” show, produced by the Atheist Community of Austin (Texas). Cynthia also serves as the general secretary of the Reparations advocacy organization known as Freedmen Chicago.

ARTHUR WARD’S COMMENTARY

WARNING: If you are insanely religious or easily triggered by controversial viewpoints – spare yourself. Please do not read anything past this sentence.

The only “belief” system I have at this time is “Freedmen Reparationism” – No Other Beliefs Family. No church is needed. No pastor is needed. Doing education, activism, and political engagement are its “prayers” – and the way to the heaven that its unlettered and untitled acolytes are bound to create. In the here and now of course. Can’t do supernatural stuff. Metaphysics does not work for me or us.

Let’s start with this:

“Christianity played a prominent role in the proliferation of Black and African subservience to White and European peoples. It directly aided and supported the enslavement of Black and African people for centuries, and served a direct role in maintaining the institution of chattel race-based slavery in North America for years to come. And Christianity as a religion and an idea, as known by the Western World, encourages and promotes ‘Uncle Tomism’, the idea that the Black and/or African man must be passive, loyal, patient, and obedient, in all of the wrong ways, to those who oppress him, specifically the White and/or European man.

And this idea is alive and well today, and even though the White European, for the most part, has generally abandoned Christianity, they still promote these Christian ideas [to Blacks] but through a liberal secular standpoint. And the Black Christian and the African Christian hold on still to the religion that was abandoned by those [Whites] that taught it to them, and embrace the [negative] ideas that they promoted to them, in the past and present.

… they both are enthusiastically following a religion that he who taught it to them has abandoned. And they are gladly and feverishly obeying, practicing and spreading the ideas that they were taught, by one who never implemented them [Christian ideals] in the first place.”

Excerpt From: “Uncle Tom Was A Christian” (Abu Firnas) ISBN: 9798373420600

When folks ask me if my Atheism informs my politics, I must respond “Yes.” When folks ask me if my Buddhism informs my politics, I must respond “Yes.” And “Yes.” Beliefs inform all actions, and I think / know that religions, beliefs, and life philosophies are “operating systems” that shape one’s politics and the effectiveness of one’s political activities. That shape how one reacts (or not) to all things. That shape one’s outlook and proactivity. Facts, logic, and justice drive me. I am a Full Reparations activist – I am also the most complete and committed Atheist on the planet. Buddhism makes my Atheism humanistically operational. Understand?

I also know that Christianity is part of the system of White Supremacy.

I only became whole when I divested myself of God-belief. Cured and well.

And operating in my mental clarity after my divestment – I came to understand that the politics in the Freedmen community is very much – too much, tied up in and with religion – churches – and preachers. Next to being released from legal slavery, and then being emancipated from the most onerous aspects of Jim Crow – Reparations is the most important issue for us Freedmen in the here, and hard going forward until it is accomplished in the now. We have to do a mental reset in all aspects and at every level – and that includes (and I mean) all “belief systems.”

My personal understanding is that Christianity, the church, and the mindsets those constructs generate, has blunted our efforts in attaining full citizenship and to obtain our reparational due – despite the fact that [some of] the Black church was quite prominent and instrumental in our previous freedom efforts. In that respect – honors are due. At the same time – please look at the oh so obvious evidence.

From the end of the “Civil Rights Era” going forward into the now – we have been messed-over by the preacher-politician complex. That is just a fact. The dirty Democratic Party is the coordinator and beneficiary. Our Black preachers have always gotten in the way of good policy for Freedmen. For clergy, politics is just another income and influence stream, and churches serve as political indoctrination facilities for the Democrats – in addition to dispensing their “hope” and “belief” nonsense. At this time – we have Democrat Party paid Black preachers in Chicago sheltering white Venezuelan illegal migrants in the churches YOU paid for.

Folks! Once those illegals get on their beautifully naturalized feet – they will be standing hard and heavy – politically and economically – directly on top of your childrens necks. And the Black preachers that do this, do not care not one whit – what they are setting our community up for. To Hell With You Niggers. They just want that Democrat Party trick-money – AMEN!!! OK? Somebody needs to call Jesus. Now, this commentary is not ever – or will ever be an assault on believers themselves. OK? This is an assault on bad ideas, bad people, bad agendas, and what I perceive to be bad beliefs. FACTS – bad beliefs always produce bad politics.

A Question to Pastors: How do we have a God and a Ghetto in the same spot?

I want all my Freedmen Family to understand that I transitioned from believer to Atheist. From Atheist to operational Buddhist by which I switched my allegiance from God – to an allegiance to Foundational Black American humanity and our Reparations (other groups are grown folks – and can take care of their own issues). My core of being (can we say “spirit?”) is now concretely foundationalized into the accomplishment of Black interests over that of white appeasement. I have snatched my focus away from an unseen and unknown heaven, and the possibility of an ephemeral – unrealized salvation. No More God.

No more Jesus. No more Pastors. No more Church. I have refocused that same beautiful, reaching, transcendental, devotional energy towards the Reparational ground I stand on – and the unliberated people in front of me. Right in the Now.

We as a people cannot afford mere “belief” any more.

Never forget that religion did not, would not, and could not stop the exploitation of Black bodies. Never. Ever. The traditional African beliefs and practices did not stop them from practicing (even today) the inter-tribal trading and taking (in conflicts) for the purposes of enslavement – Black bodies. That unrelenting Black on Black enslavement done centuries before – and then feeding the Trans-Atlantic enterprise. Islamic piety certainly did not stop the African to Muslim slave trade. No Way. (My understanding is that trade continues profitably till today. You Tell Me?).

The Catholic Church enthusiastically blessed the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Colonial Christianity was slavery’s main philosophical support in America. Right?

“Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you [still] endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered [on the Cross] for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”

1 Peter 2:18-21 NIV

Native American tribal beliefs certainly did not stop the American Indian from participating in the entire slavery enterprise from top to bottom. White Evangelical Christianity was one of the most powerful forces in countering Civil Rights efforts. Violently and politically. And the third Secretary Of State for the Confederacy was Jewish – Judah P. Benjamin. All bullshit. Whatever good that religion was able to do in releasing us from slavery and securing citizen’s rights for us – is miniscule in comparison to the exhaustive amount of damage it abetted, and continues to do.

Hmm… Let’s see: First Black captives landed in the Americas in 1562 on the good ship “Jesus.” Then later, Abraham Lincoln did us with a dubious “Emancipation Proclamation” in 1863. That’s 301 years. OK? Then, let us add in another 130 years of legal post-slavery nonsense. Christian country? Now from that, we can clearly see that this merciful God keeps the well-being of American Freedmen people securely in mind as an urgent priority. You can see that – Right? RIGHT? If a God exists – he certainly does provide. But only for everybody else – especially whites.

Doesn’t God remind you of the Democratic Party?

When non-Freedmen are in need, whatever Providence there may be (?) takes mere seconds or days in response or proaction for everything and everyone else. But it takes several hundred years before the most pious, faithful, enthusiastic Christians on earth, us Freedmen Americans, could or can even receive anything resembling partial relief for our suffering? The Freedmen are still waiting for the rest of the package – from an “All-Powerful” God. Maybe God put us on his 400 year waiting list – cuz’ we’re “special?” Are there Black people in Heaven? Just going by the pictures. Who Knows? Even if God were conclusively proven to exist – that would be all the more reason for me to look up, and give him a solid “…………..”

Then – I could finish my ice cream.

We have it all here. Christianity, Islam, Jesus, Allah, Jehovah. God. God. God!!! – Salvation, Segregation, and Lynching – With Taxes? OK. A Christian country? OK. Jesus loves you? — Yes My Brother! You CAN be a Christian AND A NIGGER – at the same time – NIGGER. – Damn. Let me check my watch. Understand?

I have always believed that Christianity is owned by white people anyway. And they can do whatever they want with it. That’s why white-assed Ku Klux Klan-type folks could blow up and burn down Black churches with unabashed impunity. That looks like ownership to me. No prosecution. No punishment. And ol’ Jesus did NOT stop anything. Right? We all know that God is white. Yea he is. I saw him looking extremely white – right there on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Yep. “The Savior” Jesus is certainly white. I’m just going by the pictures. Christianity itself belongs entirely to the white supremacy system (just look at our nasty results over centuries as a believing people) and American Freedmen should understand that.

At this point – we should clearly see that something is not adding up.

Family – any scripture, religion, or life philosophy should and must be open to the closest examination. The hardest scrutiny. The most critical dismantlement of every single point presented. Every single point. Evaluated in and within cold, hard fact. Not scrutinized within the uncertain amorphousness of Christian faith. Not doing your examination while your vision is overlain with someone else’s interpretive traps. That religion or life philosophy should be able to stand up to – and to then clearly remain operable at all levels – both scientifically and philosophically under That kind of evaluative pressure. That being established – before it should be adopted as a reference for your life. That includes the Bible. Does That make sense?

That research and scrutinization should always be done by and for YOU. That, “this is how I grew up” – OR – “that’s what my momma believed” – OR – “cuz that’s the tradition in my family” type craziness. Ahh… NO. Those reasons ain’t nowhere near good enough to be “believing” anything. NO. This is nothing but niggerized intellectual laziness. People allowing themselves to be trapped in the dangerously matrixial worlds of the “comfortable” and the “familiar.”

We got otherwise “smart” folks “believing“ stuff. Grown people. OK? Grown people should not be “believing” anything. Can we stick the “Tooth Fairy” and “Santa Claus” in there too? Fuck that. How about some facts? How about an honest admission of “I don’t know” – if you don’t know? Operative wisdom lies in understanding that truth, proof, and reason trumps tradition, hope, and faith every time. Politicians and Preachers are the best liars on the planet.

There was a 13th Century Japanese Buddhist monk named Nichiren that wrote a beautiful paragraph that I am excerpting from a letter that he composed now titled “The Person and the Law” (Nanjo-dono Gohenji). The reason I am so attached to this piece is because he starts and finishes with the person. The philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism itself is godless. All power starts and ends with the person. All transformation starts and ends with the person. All enlightenment starts and ends with the person. All Here. No supernaturalism. The “secret Law” that he refers to means a universal “Law” of cause and effect. And “nirvana” in his sense means the highest mentality to accomplish and maintain in this present and concrete world:

“This is a mountainous place, remote from all human habitation. There is not a single village in any direction. Although I live in such a forsaken hovel, deep in this mortal flesh I preserve the ultimate secret Law inherited from Shakyamuni Buddha at Eagle Peak. My heart is where all Buddhas enter nirvana; my tongue, where they turn the wheel of doctrine; my throat, where they are born into this world; and my mouth, where they attain enlightenment. Because this mountain is where the wondrous votary of the Lotus Sutra dwells, how can it be any less sacred than the pure land of Eagle Peak? Since the Law is supreme, the Person is worthy of respect; since the Person is worthy of respect, the Land is sacred. The [Lotus Sutra] reads, ‘Whether in a grove, under a tree, or in a monastery… the Buddhas enter nirvana.’ Those who visit this place [this here and now within oneself] can instantly expiate the sins they have committed since the infinite past and transform their illusions into wisdom, their errors into truth, and their sufferings into freedom.”

Yes. “Since the Law is supreme, the Person is worthy of respect; since the Person is worthy of respect, the Land is sacred.” Again, the “Law” he mentions is the law of cause and effect itself and all of the teachings that give operational clarity to that universal principle. Thusly – effecting freedom from one’s own power, wisdom, and determination. I understand that a transformation – a raising of the people’s life condition HERE automatically and simultaneously transforms the land.

Replacing the trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with the earthly triumvirate operationality of Business, Politics, and Economics. I can get on with the American practicality of creating a heaven in the here – and now, on THIS sacred ground.

Reparations Now – Cut The Check!!!

It should be an embarrassment that the Black church is the strongest institution in our community. That institution equals continued failure. We will never move forward as a people as long as the church remains our strongest institution.

Our earthly existence is fed by politics, economics, and business. Spirituality and blind other-worldly metaphysics is not going to cut it as a solution or help. Because Jesus is Not Power. Jesus is The Game being played on us. And that church is the biggest player of the game – on us. That Church is literally pushing us into the grave. Turning the other cheek to the bullets of White Supremacy means an assured death. An assured end to our lineage. With no reserve.

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair Use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

My goodness – so very appropriate for this post. I was assisted in writing this blogpost by a bottle of Peirano Estate – Illusion Red Blend 2020. Lodi – Central Valley California. A four point sumptuality that is beautifully under $20.00. Dry. Concrete structure. Bold. Moderate acidity. Slightly high tannins. Opening with chocolate, oak, and cherries. A sustain of blackberries, ripe plums, and vanilla. Ending with soft raspberries, coffee, and vanilla. Long – substantial finish.

“There are problems with the resolution also, especially the convoluted eligibility criteria which makes it possible for persons living as white who have African ancestry to receive reparations and the endorsement of [the] egregious HR40 [bill].”

Dr. William Darity – Twitter May 17, 2023

The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis really needs to sit their destructive asses down and retire from this Reparations space. Today. They are sharp tools of the Democratic Party and the double-dealing, two-faced Congressional Black Caucus. Political hypocrites. Full anti-reparationists. Lying Pan African freaks. Did I say that?

Well Yeah. When certain persons or entities are sabotaging my justice claim and destroying my grandchildren’s inheritance – I can call them or that anything I want. Until you or they remove these suchnesses from my good justice issue and account. We are now living in the end times for grifters and slicks. We must stop these people from consistently gaming us for the benefit of the Democrats.

So – what’s the latest game as of this writing? Well, for the fractured and separated collectives of Freedmen, American Descendants of Slavery, and Foundational Black Americans, and all other groups or organizations that are based in lineage-based Reparations politics – we have from U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), this H.Res.414.

Oh Boy…

Before we get into certain highlights from the text of the Resolution, let us get into what certain words mean and don’t mean. And why certain words mean what they mean. And why certain words are supposed to do certain things. And why certain words are utilized contextually to repeatedly stop certain things from happening.

Those words arrived in my smartphone on a warm Chicago evening. Reading and discerning. Negative this and positive that. Seven o’clock – the recurring coda of a gradual – emerging dusk – descending-red in silent commencement. Meditating and reflecting on an ephemerality – within a sweeping stratospheric concert of light and wind. Violet-gold and crimson-blue intermix and unravel – interweaving cause within effect. Endless colors emerging out of colors. There.

Magnificent expressment of Universal Law revealed as sunset…

Stop Motherfucker!!!

You ain’t got no time to be enjoying no sunsets Man. No time for wasting electricity through waxing poetic on this computer. None. OK? Only white motherfuckers got that kind of time – and you ain’t white Dude! You got this H.Res.414 snake oil to deal with. Damn. The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis will never fail to destroy a moment. It’s quite tiring to constantly clean up behind proactively evil reparational toddlers. Every fucking day they are doing this, and doing that. This Is War. Know: There will be no unencumbered – no quintessential understanding of Pure Reparations with and within and around the public as long as they remain a factor in this issue.

Now let’s get back to the words:

Family – there is a profound operating difference between a “resolution” and a “bill.” Just to establish that first. The information given in this section is studied from the http://www.senate.gov (Types of Legislation page) website. Understand that the vast majority of real legislative proposals are in the form of bills. Bills deal with real domestic and foreign issues and programs, and they also appropriate real money to various government agencies and programs. So that we are real clear.

Let us move on to “Simple Resolutions” which is what H.Res.414 is. House simple resolutions are designated “H.Res.” followed by a number. Simple resolutions are used to express the sentiments of the House, such as offering condolences to the family of a deceased member of Congress, or it may give “advice” on foreign policy or other executive business. Simple resolutions are vacant, ephemeral, directionless, and not binding to anything substantial. Understand what you’re looking at.

And Family – simple resolutions are also a way to make a legislator look like they’re “doing something” (at least simple resolutions are useful to somebody).

If you look, Congresswoman Cori Bush has a pretty lightweight record, but she assumed office in 2021. OK. She’s a pastor (problematic). She allies with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (problematic). She allies with Pan African Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (extremely problematic). I don’t know how much she is “invested(?!).” But the fact that she was surrounded by members of the N’COBRA Axis in the photo-ops is a huge red flag – in addition to being nauseating. Watch This: “Simple resolutions do not require the approval of the Senate nor the signature of the president, and they do not have the force of law.” Got That? “So – Rep. Bush had nothing else to do?”

Correct! She used her nothing else time to create – and do nothing.

As my regular readers of this blog should now know; The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis is highly skilled in the art of writing bad bills. HR40 itself has been admired and praised nationwide as an exemplary masterpiece within the genre of “blind alley” legislative proposals. This HR40 has been admired so much that you’ll find many municipalities around this country attempting to use bits and pieces of it to construct their own dead-ended task forces and commissions. And this beautiful Pan African inspired H.Res.414 is just as interesting and just as immoral. Yes it is.

It just has a different, distractive, and more deceptive purpose.

American history is a timeline of evil converted into legislation.

Now this is an educated speculation Family: Seeing as how Rep. Cori Bush is the main sponsor we could believe that she and her staff were the direct creators of this “Resolution.” Could be. I don’t have empirical proof that that didn’t happen. So don’t take my speculation as gospel. Because for all I know, I might be crazy. A solid possibility. Grains of salt are falling all over the place. BUT!!! I can’t help that I smell the complicating could-be presence of Kamm Howard in this document.

And I think I see the fingerprints of J.A.M. Aiwuyor on this document without enhancements. And I believe I heard that grinding, irritating voice of counselor Nkechi Taifa speaking from between the lines as I read this document. Oh Shit. People get old and slow. Sometimes your retorts don’t launch with enough alacrity. Sometimes your seasoned neurons don’t fire quickly enough for you to organize and deliver your thoughts with appropriate efficiency to an opposing interlocutor in good conversation. In other circumstances? You might see things that aren’t there. Then you may not see things that are there. You Know?

So, let us sharply do what we came here to do. Let us go through the text of this “resolution.” Now, I will not go through the painful entirety of the document. Why? Because of how it was constructed and what it was constructed with. “Well – what is the how and what of its composition and construction OG?” We will take care of that right here Family. (!) There are only eighteen points that are worth focusing on. In that sense, this will be a complete post. And we will focus on those aforementioned points in their entirety. But the rest of the document? Ahh…

Well, the rest of the document is pretty useless. Other than the eighteen points, it is filled with weird N’COBRA-esque fillers, pointless points in history (?), and out-of-context nonsense. (!) “International Law” bullshit. Unnecessary historic reiterations regarding stuff like the Dred Scott decision. Nut repeats about Spanish colonizers. Dumb shit from the United Nations. Ten Presidents as slaveholders. The rape of Black women (as if we don’t know this). Confederate soldiers. The Great Migration. Black Codes. Tulsa. Rosewood. Africa – Africans – Africa – Africans? – What about America and Americans? Turn The Page!

The nonsense continues: Poll taxes. Mass incarceration. Abusive criminalization. Et Cetera. And Et Cetera. Okay! All of this to make it look like whomever constructed this insult is allegedly acquainted with history books. Here Family, the writer(s) are attempting to create a magisterial aura of importance and gravitas that this rag simply does not, and could not have. Twenty-three whole pages! Nice try though.

Next thing: The list below is comprised of the initial co-sponsors of the resolution. These People? Immediately put them on your “do not trust” list. I don’t care if they’ve been cooking every day for your family (without poisoning somebody), and emptying your grandmother’s bedpan every night for the last twenty years. These are race traitors. And they are just as invested in destroying our Reparations claim as the Pan Africans and White Liberals are. Don’t trust them Family.

Here’s The List:

• Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D – New York)
• Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D – Illinois)
• Rep. Barbara Lee (D – California)
• Rep. Delia Ramirez (D – Illinois)
• Rep. Al Green (D – Texas)
• Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D – Michigan)
• Rep. Summer Lee (D – Pennsylvania)
• Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D – Massachusetts)
• Rep. Ilhan Omar (D – Minnesota)

Every one of the Democrat Party motherfuckers on this list ain’t shit. And it’s about time somebody took the time to call them out, with a special focus on Barbara Lee of California and Jonathan Jackson of Illinois. It is up to the Freedmen Collective to make these people famous for the proper reasons. Proper Reasons? Well Yeah. These folks along with The Axis, Cori Bush, the Congressional Black Caucus, and hidden others, are the team that was put together by the Democrat Party to do a “false flag” move to regain the Black vote. Understand? You can add in Roland Martin and Joy Reid too (got to get that misinformational word out!).

Mark Thompson? Ray Winbush? Al Sharpton is probably around somewhere.

Yes I said it. This is part of a “false flag operation” to fool you and your vote back into the non-delivering abyss of the Biden Administration. Nothing more than slick marketing for votes. There is a presidential election coming up Family. So a new – dressed-up, far-reaching kind of “benign neglect” has to be done in a more precise, creative, promise-filled, and proactive way. “A Resolution? Yeah, those niggers will bite – I guarantee you!” I hope you were not fooled by this near criminal bullshit.

Let us now go into the eighteen points, so we can all see how bad this is:

I

“Recognizing that the United States has a moral and legal obligation to provide reparations for the enslavement of Africans and its lasting harm on the lives of millions of Black people in the United States.”

Watch the choice of words. No. The United States has a legislative and economic obligation to provide Reparations to people that are lineaged from those that were enslaved in the United States of America. “Moral,” is a word that is concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character. What is “moral” does not belong in the path of any questions of potential legislation. Why? Because what is “moral” is something that is variable according to the beliefs of each individual. And each individual has the right to believe that his “morality” is the right one. Because “morality” is usually religion based.

And that’s a problem.

Examples of moralism dynamics include questions as to whether homosexuals should be married or not. Whatever your personal position – that turned out to be a constitutional question. Hashed out and resolved at a Supreme Court – not a church. Women initially not having the right to vote had a religious basis – that was congressionally resolved – not decided on at a church. The decision to abolish slavery was a congressional decision – not a moral one. Remember – the Bible supports and regulates slavery. If you are honest about what the scripture actually says. That problem disqualifies “morals” as a reparational basis or component.

Why?

Some believe it is “moral” to pay reparations. Some believe it is “immoral” to pay reparations. Believed in all sincerity on both counts. The question should simply be about identifying what assets were taken, and precisely identifying whom those assets were taken from, and negotiating what assets should be returned along with interest penalties if any. Any introduced “moralities” have absolutely nothing to do with it. All reasons for, decisions to, and the means to pay reparations should be based in and on strictly secular constitutionality and previously done legislation.

And any new legislation should of course have a constitutional basis, and from that – a legislative genesis and conclusion. Laws are not established from the standpoint of “moral” questions. This is stupid and non-productive verbiage. Those laws that have been established on that [moral] basis tend to be dismantled in Federal courts. This reparations issue is about economic repair done through concrete legislation. Economic repair is about doing objective business. No slippery moralities needed.

“Legal obligation?” Well, this reparation cannot be done in any court. And legal things don’t become legal until a proposed legality actually becomes a legal law first by its creation through a bill. Moving along, you have that bill’s endurance tested through debate and constitutional concurrence, and then its eventual release to the floor (or not) through the decision of The Speaker of the House or Senate Majority Leader (depending on which chamber the bill is in) for a vote. With the possible further injection of outside support or protest. Moving along again, that bill now becomes actual legislation (it’s not just a proposal anymore) through accomplishing a majority representative approval (or not) through the floor vote.

And finally (if it gets that far), the head of a Federal or State Executive Branch signing that legislation (or not) into law. That’s how it’s done.

There is no Reparations law for American Freedmen existing at this time. OK? So, there is no “legal obligation” that can rightly be fulfilled at this time. Therefore, no legitimate “provisions” can rightly be made. See? Laws cannot be made in courts. Only laws that exist can be enforced, nullified, upheld, or overturned in courts. Whoever wrote this resolutionist confusion is legally mixed up and legislatively messed up. “Africans and Black people?” Which Black people? What Africans?

II

“Whereas reparations are defined as a victim-centered process by which survivors of atrocities and serious human rights violations, and their descendants, have the right to seek restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, and guarantees of nonrepetition for past and ongoing harms…”

Ahh No. Reparations must be defined as a lineage-centered process. Any time you see a term like “victim-centered,” that is a slick attempt by the writer or speaker to make this a “race” issue – rather than a “lineage” issue. Watch the words Family.

The other thing, I not only want you to notice the words that are there, but also the words that are not there. This part of the resolution defines “victim-centered process,” and “survivors of atrocities,” and “their descendants,” and “serious human rights violations,” and “the right to seek restitution,” and so on. OK?

But the ask at this point is: “Whom is the writer talking about?” And then we ask: “Where is the writer talking about?” Understand Family. This section – what you are now looking at is Pan Africanism by omission. Yeah (“Kamm Howard – is that you?”). The atrocities and human rights violations mentioned here also happened to enslaved Black persons in the Caribbean and South America as well.

Whenever these kinds of statements are uttered or written, I am looking for specificity in every instance. In every document or paragraph directly produced or indirectly influenced by the Axis.

III

“Whereas to meet the international legal obligation of reparations, the Federal Government must compensate descendants of enslaved Black people and people of African descent in the United States to account for the harms of chattel slavery, the cumulative damages of enslavement, and the epochs of legal and de facto segregation…”

Watch the language Family! Watch the motherfucking language!!! OK. So we got two kinds of people here: “…descendants of enslaved Black people” AND “people of African descent.” Two check boxes here. Which one do you check?

You have to be careful dealing with Axis-influenced documents produced by questionable politicians. Now, I’m gonna assume that “descendants of enslaved Black people” indicates American Freedmen. And “people of African descent” indicates all folks from the African Diaspora. I guess? What is she talking about here? This should be irritating. I don’t know how long us American Freedmen are going to keep tolerating this insistive and open disrespect.

Due to the fucking Pan Africans, Freedmen have to endure in quiet anger the brazen language involved with this fusion of the legitimately injustified with those that by any reasonable examination are justifiably ineligible to anything reparational here. There is no “international legal obligation of reparations.” HERE. The only thing we need is an obligation to a concurring constitutionality with the Constitution of the United States of America. HERE. In America. That’s It. International “norms” can be rightly cited because they do have a degree of universal validity. They just don’t apply HERE unless WE make them apply HERE from within domestically. Within a constitutional concurrence. Understand?

A good example of a valid “international norm” that could be domestically internalized would be the “Five Components of Reparations” as spelled out by the United Nations. They are: 1. Restitution. 2. Compensation. 3. Rehabilitation. 4. Satisfaction. And 5. Guarantees of Non-Repitition. Along with all Reparations expended being appropriate and proportional to the gravity of the violations that were done, and the harm that was suffered. But Again. We must make them apply HERE from within domestically. In accordance with American constitutionality.

Hopefully, we as a people will reach a hard and irreversible breaking point. And from that point, loudly and aggressively doing something about it.

So Family – if we have this here: “…descendants of enslaved Black people and people of African descent in the United States to account for the harms of chattel slavery, the cumulative damages of enslavement, and the epochs of legal and de facto segregation?” —— This is nothing but an inappropriate and duplicitous conjunctioning in a place where no conjunction needs to exist. Where does the African Diaspora fit into this issue constitutionally? How? Explain…

IV

“Whereas reparations must be administered by the Federal Government to descendants of enslaved Black people and people of African descent for sanctioning the kidnapping and trafficking of human beings, creating and maintaining a racial hierarchy, embedding slavery and other methods of economic exploitation into the fabric of society, and emboldening White supremacy with legal, social, and economic tools of control…”

In this section we have more of that “enslaved Black people AND people of African descent” nonsense. But wait a minute! What happened to the “call” for that “National Reparations Trust Authority” bullshit? What? Because “must be administered by the Federal Government” sounds like a call for the creation of a “Freedman’s Bureau” to me. Come on Dr. Ron Daniels! Y’all mean to tell me that you guys were not able to convince Rep. Bush to put that bullshit in this resolution? This was your chance Pan Africans! Or maybe things are getting better?

Who knows?

Kidnapping? Ahh… No. This “kidnapping” nonsense is another dishonest way in which The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis tries to “improve” and clear the real history of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Kidnapping may have happened anecdotally on the here and there – sometimes. Totally plausible because of what was going down and because white people were involved. OK. But! The Transatlantic Slave Trade was probably called a “slave trade” – probably because motherfuckers [Black Africans] were “trading slaves.” OK? Let’s keep going: When human beings are being sold – “trafficking” is an integral and essential part of the process. You don’t buy people only to keep the bought in the same place. Right? You gotta move them from there to elsewhere. Right? Does that make any sense?

The vendors – the Africans, are more culpable in this case than the buyers.

The problem is that the fucking Pan Africans always try to move the obvious and substantial weight of responsibility from the actual slave vendors to the slave buyers. The buyers were not the vendors. The vendors were African royalty and professional African slave traders. That’s who they were. Period. And if you’re smart and discerning, you will never allow some kufi-hatted, pseudo-intellectual jerk-off take you off that factual square. The facts regarding the “trade” are well-researched and well-published. Yep. The correct information is out there. So there is no excuse to be taken in by good Pan African salesmanship.

A Few Resources:

• The Slave Trade: The Story Of The Atlantic Slave Trade: 1440 – 1870 (Hugh Thomas) ISBN: 0684835657
• The Slave Trade In Africa: An Ongoing Holocaust (Simon Webb) ISBN: 1399094076
• The Slave Trade in Africa: The History and Legacy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and East African Slave Trade across the Indian Ocean (Charles River Editors) ISBN: 1976075645
• The Transatlantic Slave Trade: A Captivating Guide to the Atlantic Slave Trade and Stories of the Slaves That Were Brought to the Americas (Captivating History) ISBN: 1637161891
• Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade: (David Eltis – David Richardson – David W. Blight) ISBN: 0300212542
• Where the Negroes Are Masters: An African Port in the Era of the Slave Trade (Randy J. Sparks) ISBN: 0674724879
• Sins of the Fathers: The Atlantic Slave Traders 1441-1807: (James Pope-Hennessy) ISBN: 0785815945

The books on this short list are available along with plenty of other resources both printed and online. Don’t be taken in by Pan African influenced bullshit. Really? Kidnapping? Don’t allow the Pan Africans to “clean up” what really went down. And don’t leave this beautiful read behind: “My Great-Grandfather the Nigerian Slave-Trader.” — That should go down well with your coffee.

V

“Whereas the full length of legalized slavery’s impact on Black wealth creation and well-being today, including the nearly 300 years of chattel slavery from the year 1502, when enslaved Africans were brought to Hispaniola and later their descendants brought to the United States territory, to the 1789, when the first Congress met, must be recognized and fully accounted for…”

“Whereas over the course of nearly 300 years, at least 12,500,000 Africans were kidnapped from their homelands by European traders and forcibly brought across the Atlantic Ocean in one of the largest forced displacements in human history, and at least 2,000,000 did not survive the horrifying, brutal, and grueling journey across the Atlantic, also known as the Middle Passage and Maafa…”

“Whereas forcibly separating Black families, often with members being transferred to the Caribbean, was a murderous and tortuous reality for millions of enslaved people who had to endure separation from loved ones they could no longer talk to or keep in contact with, perpetuating deep psychological and emotional trauma…”

“Whereas Spanish colonizers brought enslaved Africans to modern-day Florida in 1565…”

A Repeat: “Watch the language Family! Watch the motherfucking language!!!”

What you are looking at in the four sections reproduced above are exactly 194 double-clutched words that have nothing to do with us. Absolutely Nothing…

What whoever wrote this is attempting to do is to make a case for the inclusion of Caribbeans in this American reparations claim. A true and educated American Freedman Reparationist that is advocating for a lineage-based justice in America for those that are descended from American slaves should not give a fuck about any import, logistics, or re-shipping activities that formally went on in Hispaniola.

Where did your antecedents FINALLY LAND? It is true that 12,500,000 enslaved Africans were imported to the entirety called the “New World.” But only 388,000 people were ultimately brought to the North American entity designated as “The Thirteen Colonies.” Watch the inflationary finesse. Fuck all that other shit.

The only thing that counts is whether the feet of your antecedents landed HERE and that lineage went through slavery HERE and remained and identifiably lasted as a personhood and a peoplehood HERE until 1865. And then again to be counted HERE again and recorded in 1870. And we move on from THERE. And THAT’s it.

What you see above is slick back-and-forth language designed to groom the uninformed into an unjustified mindset that seems fair and inclusive. With fine legislative language, the Pan Africans will trick you into tricking yourself.

Let’s be clear and hard about the correct eligibility standard with no ambiguity.

VI

“Whereas enslaved people were prohibited and denied the right to maintain their indigenous languages, faiths, and cultural practices and traditions from Africa…”

I am not so sure about this one. It was the “cultural practices and traditions from Africa” that caused our ancestors to be enslaved and sold in the first place. Those “practices and traditions” are literally the “First Place Cause” both historically and materially that put our ancestors into the initial position of being enslaved. And by extension in the long-term post-slavery position that we are in now. Something that we did not, and do not need to maintain. Languages? English is working just fine for me right now. Faiths? OK. Well I personally don’t do “faith.” But whatever gods and spirits that were possibly doing divine stuff in Africa at the time certainly were not of much help. And unquestionably not helpful at all to their descendants.

Oh – and by the way… Africa owes us Reparations as well. But that’s another subject for another time and place. That will be covered.

VII

“Whereas the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands Bureau, also known as the Freedmen’s Bureau, was established to provide economic and social aid to formerly enslaved Black people in 1865, but was eventually looted and corrupted by White politicians and businessmen, resulting in its demise in 1872, and in more than 60,000 Black people and organizations losing their deposits and having to wait years for only a fraction of them to be returned…”

This is a dirty shame. The Pan Africans are so focused on Mansa Musa – so focused on Zululand Boo Boo, that they can’t get obvious Black American history straight. OK? So are they talking about the “Freedmen’s Bureau” which was a government agency that was established by congressional decree in 1865 and was closed as an agency in 1872? OR – are they talking about the “Freedman’s Bank” (“Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company”) which was was established in 1865 and dissolved in 1874? Which one? Folks – you can loot a bank for sure, but (in most cases) not a government agency. Right? I’m quite surprised the word “Freedmen” was used in any capacity (even on paper) by Pan Africans. It is obvious that the writer of this section is either profoundly dyslexic or he or she straight up just doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

VIII

“Whereas, under fundamental international human rights law, governments have an obligation to provide full and effective remedies for violations of human rights, including acts of racial discrimination, and victims of human rights violations have the right to pursue such remedies…”

I don’t understand why the Pannies and their associates are always bringing up things like the “United Nations” and resolutions and other things produced by them. Or, citing “international law” as if those legislations carry any weight with the United States. When they do that, take that as overscholarized smoke and mirrors. Any “international” talk is basically a waste of time. Can the “World Court” materially penalize the United States with their judgements? With what guns? OK? What? Our eyes, our attention, our actions should always stay within the context of the Constitution of the United States. And that’s it. Don’t trust any so-called Reparationists that bring up any international shit. Can’t be used here.

IX

“Whereas the racial wealth gap is a direct legacy of chattel slavery in the United States and the continued displacement, exploitation, and sanctioned theft of formerly enslaved Black people and their descendants…”

“Whereas the Federal Government must eliminate the Black-White racial wealth gap as it is a direct legacy of chattel slavery and the cumulative impact of legal and de facto segregation that followed…”

“Whereas financial reparations must be paid by the Federal Government for an amount that respected economists have estimated totals, at minimum, $14,000,000,000,000 to eliminate the racial wealth gap that currently exists between Black and White Americans…”

Now I know they’re not dapping up Dr. William Darity in this part? Wow! Some of the more prominent Pannies have told me that Dr. Darity didn’t know what he was talking about. But here he is, paraphrased point by point in full color. It’s accurate too! Did they copy and paste this from one of Dr. Darity’s books or articles? Or did they come to some kind of independent enlightenment? What happened? Maybe this was accidentally put in by Rep. Bush’s staff. Because the rest of this document’s orientation is intentionally race-based. Dr. Darity himself is properly lineage-based.

Who knows?

X

“Whereas scholars have estimated that the United States benefitted from 222,505,049 hours of forced labor between 1619 and the end of slavery in 1865, which would be valued at $97,000,000,000,000 today…”

OK. These numbers are from Dr. Thomas Craemer. In 2015 the professor published a paper on Estimating Slavery Reparations (Social Science Quarterly, Volume 96, Number 2, pp. 639-655). That $97 Trillion figure is the result of a model calculation designed “to wrap our minds around the magnitude of the injustice” – as Professor Craemer puts it. But he never said that this is the amount to be paid back.

At the same time he asserts that capital extracted from American slavery provided the startup loan that the United States then used to develop an A-rated economy. And it took that loan by force from American Freedmen. He does feels that at some point, there is a need to start paying back the loan though. The sooner, the better. But I am not sure why this verbiage is here. What is the point being made here?

The other thing. Our Reparations claim in all respects must start from 1776. We are legislatively going after the economic-political entity duly established as the United States of America – in 1776. I wish we could go after a pre-1776 appropriated labor claim. But constitutionally we cannot sue something that didn’t exist. OK? And this country won’t allow it. So we must be advocationally and legislatively intelligent.

XI

“Whereas the Federal Government must compensate the descendants of enslaved Black people and people of African descent in the form of direct monetary reparations for the harms and vestiges of chattel slavery and its evolutions, as well as with other targeted benefits…”

Is this sentence sincere? Now – the part that says: “…direct monetary reparations for the harms and vestiges of chattel slavery and its evolutions” was wholly taken verbatim from grass-roots lineage-based groups and organizations. A Tossup!

But the “descendants of enslaved Black people” and “people of African descent?” OK? Which enslaved Black people? From where? And “people of African descent?” From where? At this point the resolution goes back into a race-based mode. This congresswoman by now should understand that nothing race-based would ever pass judicial scrutiny. Ever. Any person with even a rudimentary constitutional understanding knows this. I have to question the motives of Representative Bush.

XII

“Whereas the Federal Government has provided compensation and other forms of redress to other communities against which it has committed gross human rights violations, including Japanese Americans pursuant to the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, who were forcibly removed and incarcerated in concentration camps in World War II…”

Oh. Okay…

XIII

“Whereas the Federal Government abdicated its responsibility time and time again to adequately acknowledge and provide redress for the crimes of enslavement and the continuation of racial subjugation and never enacted resolutions formally apologizing for slavery or H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans Act…”

An advertising break to market what I am sure to be one of the worst conceived and constructed bills ever produced in American history. This is one of the few times I can actually appreciate government inaction in regards to Freedmen.

XIV

“Whereas, in 2021, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights urged the United States to end anti-Black racial discrimination, violence and systemic racism against people of African descent by providing comprehensive reparations…”

“Whereas, in 2022, the United Nations Committee on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination recommended implementation of a Federal reparations commission to develop reparation proposals as key strategy for achieving racial justice…”

“Whereas, in other countries, including South Africa, Canada, Columbia, and others, poorly designed reparations processes have not only failed to bring complete justice, but have created new forms of harm…”

Oh Stop. I don’t know why the Pannies keep doing this. Everybody that has some understanding of international politics, especially in regards to the United States relative to other countries, knows that international entities like the United Nations and the World Court carry no weight with this country. None. So why fill up space with this kind of shit? Is it to make folks think that you know what you’re talking about? To sound impressive? What? In all respects, when it comes to all endeavors regarding a Reparations claim Here – it is better to keep your whole mind and all Reparationist activities Here. Anytime you are listening to anyone speak on these Reparations, and the word “international” intentionally or unintentionally falls out their mouth. In most cases, that is a warning flag that a bunch of bullshit is about to follow. Just prepare your ears. It’s coming…

XV

“Whereas reparations are fundamentally a justice and accountability process that should carry more symbolic and practical power than traditional social policy; and

Whereas reparations programs should be distinguishable from the Federal Government’s responsibility for people’s general welfare, including routine social services and development aid…”

What is this? In the first section here, if proper Reparations legislation were being constructed, the only power that mattered would be practical. Any symbolism would be a tertiary effect at best, and something that most Freedmen would not be proactively concerned with. Cutting that beautiful check itself would be enough.

In the second section – I don’t know what the writer means by “traditional social policy.” What is that? Social policies are necessarily disaggregated and tailored to whatever particular social issue needs elimination, assistance, or transformation.

Any proper reparations program is and in itself automatically “distinguishable from the Federal Government’s responsibility for people’s general welfare…” OK. Is this shit overscholarized filler? Or just Pan African babble? Hard to tell.

XVI

“(2) encourages support, passage and implementation of H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African-Americans Act, which has been introduced every year since 1989, via Congress or the executive branch…”

The fact that this resolution encourages the passage of HR40 or a commensurate Executive Order being signed automatically disqualifies this document as serious. But HR40 is still useful as a political means to show that you “support” the Black community. Especially if you’re a White liberal or “Blue” conservative. It has a sort of “political convenience” in that respect.

XVII

“(5) acknowledges the significance of and momentum brought by legacy organizations as well as additional grassroots and national organizations leading the modern-day reparations movement…”

Oh!!! How Sweet – a moment of inclusivity…

XVIII

“(6) encourages the creation of local, State, and Federal initiatives to identify sources of reparations demands arising from chattel slavery and its long-standing impact on Black people…”

This section is a slow and sneaky way to implant the idea of state and municipal level “Stakeholder Authorities” and a “National Reparations Trust Authority” at the federal level. This right here exposes what they said in Part IV of this post: “…reparations must be administered by the Federal Government” as mis-connected political bullshit Family. This or That? What exactly do you want to do Pannies?

Don’t be fooled by the word “initiatives.” That’s not what they mean.

CONCLUSION

OK. Three barf bags in – I made it. By now I hope you do understand that this resolution is not anything to be taken seriously by anyone not residing in a mental facility. This is another attempt (a “false flag”) by the Democratic Party to reel all you Black political defectors and stragglers back into active votership for President Biden. And if he is re-elected it is a good chance the sonofabitch will expire in office (just look at him). And then we’ll be stuck with that raggedy-assed disaster otherwise known as Kamala Harris. I’d prefer we have Trump’s ass back in office over Jim Crow Joe, if that’s what the choices came down to.

Family! You got my as-best-as-I-could breakdown. Ya’ll asked me to do it – at this point, I’m just asking you to think.

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair Use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

I was assisted in writing this post by a bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild – Carruades de Lafite Pauillac 2018. Medoc – Pauillac, France. Yeah, this is $650.00 per bottle. I have a few bottles in this range. Gotta drink them sometime. Right?

A full Cabernet Sauvignon. Tight structure. Sophisticatedly bold. Tea. Earthy. More tannic than smooth. Moderately dry. High acidity. Opening with tobacco, blackberries, and cherries. A sustain of blackcurrants, licorice, ripe apricots, and juicy prunes. Ending with smoke, almonds, and melon. Long but crisp finish.

“No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

14th Amendment – United States Constitution

This post is regarding the big stink bomb detonated over this country that was misnamed “local reparations.” That bomb was constructed by a trio of master stink bomb makers known as NAARC, N’COBRA, and FirstRepair of Evanston Illinois. The toxic effluvia emanating from their foul handiwork has poisoned the Reparational winds that are now blowing across this entire country.

I am absolutely opposed to any “local reparations” projects done before the federal case has been accomplished. A “local reparations” done now? Now? Every fucking thing is out of order. An incompetent mess. (!) But since this mess is now happening – let me offer some clarity and order. It is not too late.

Let us open this post with a beautiful and informative excerpt from the NAARC (National African American Reparations Commission) website:

“The National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC) is comprised of leading African American activists, scholars, professionals, and experts in the fields of law, economics, politics, health, education, politics, religion, labor, and community development. As such, NAARC serves as an influential and authoritative voice on the definition, values, and criteria for reparatory justice initiatives and a vehicle, among others, to intensify, broaden, and deepen the Reparations Movement in the U.S. and globally… Finally, NAARC is extensively engaged in providing assistance to and certifying municipal, local, and state reparations initiatives utilizing the milestone Evanston Reparations Initiative, which was certified by NAARC, as a flexible replicable model.”

“A flexible replicable model?” Keep that killer in mind Family. And with that: “Bring out the strippers – we’re gonna have some fun tonight!!!” Why Not?

TIME TO GET SERIOUS

Family: This is the point at which the establishment of our reparational due has to transition from cosplayers, politics, and emotionality to cold historic empiricism – riding on objectively conclusive calculations finalizing with a substantive end.

Evanston and no other “local reparations” scheme has, can, or will accomplish this.

Housing is an understandable target for local atonement regarding municipally committed circumscriptions, deprivations, and direct harms of various kinds. But – in a reparations environment, every entity targeted for eventual recompense being extracted, that extraction must come to a comprehensive conclusion. Mere housing assistance, something that should only be done in an “equity” environment should NEVER in any way be intentionally mislabeled as “reparations” and mercilessly “sold” as such to an injustified, uninformed, and very hungry constituency.

Any organization that lays this trick bag on the public will in time be perceived as dirty cajolers and open swindlers. You must know what you are looking at Family. Politicians that accept the flatteries of those corrupt organizations and implement their defraudulent suggestions could be perceived as either full idiots or willfully corrupt themselves. Once that targeted electorate figures things out? And once that targeted electorate finds its fundamental anger and decides to move in justice to get justice? Let’s just hope the planners and perpetrators have their affairs in order.

Take that as you like. Remember what was done to Bernie Madoff for the Billions he stole from the Jewish community? They gave him a whole 150 years. And he didn’t kill anybody. The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis is our version of Bernie Madoff. Trust Me – they are. And a potential right-in-our-faces Pan African Reparations fraud in the Trillions should be regarded by us in the same seriousness as murder. That’s Right. Just like others do when it comes to the Billions stolen from Them.

They shut things down. They make sure certain folks go to prison for a long time. They Blackball. (sometimes) They Kill. We allow people to play with us too much.

Back to a comprehensive conclusion. One cause can generate a multiplicity of effects. Those effects land where they land. And far reach where they eventually reach. There. And in the case of Black exclusion, diminution, and traumatization – comprehensive conclusions born of exhaustive examinations are the only correct ends. With direct cash payments. Understand? Ends that run far deeper and wider than nearly symbolic acts of local atonement. Far deeper than our good legislators beautifully exhibiting promises then abysmally delivering nothing.

Far more than questionably fair hearing and ambiguously just recompense.

And quoting from the quote above: “Finally, NAARC is extensively engaged in providing assistance to and certifying municipal, local, and state reparations initiatives utilizing the milestone Evanston Reparations Initiative, which was certified by NAARC, as a flexible replicable model.” OK? “Flexible?” “Replicable?” A “certification?” Attached to what authority? A “model?” What? Where else is this working? The Evanston reparations shit scheme is something that even legislatures whose members possess the lowest straight-to-hell moralities and committing the highest prosecutable levels of corruption, should be too embarrassed to replicate.

Point Blank.

As far as handling Reparations at ANY level; I would trust a Rachel Dolezal to provide better expertise than Kamm Howard. I would have a higher confidence of trust with Bernie Madoff than Robin Rue Simmons. That’s what we’re dealing with.

“The National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC) is comprised of leading African American activists, scholars, professionals, and experts in the fields of law, economics, politics, health, education, politics, religion, labor, and community development.”

See that quote? The way that the scheme in Evanston is falling apart, it doesn’t seem like all of the experts cited in the quote are providing any real expertise or sound advice. For example: One major thing that was not covered or dealt with was the tax liability impact on cash payments. The State of Illinois has an income tax. That means the potential tax liability on a $25K payment can be up to 40% between state and federal. Where were those “experts” in the fields of “law, economics, and politics?” Where was the “pre-reparations” groundwork that should have been done at the state and federal levels to get legislation passed to make these kinds of payments tax exempt? Insurance and other-generated settlements or indebtedness erasures are tax exempt. They couldn’t get “local reparations” exempt as well?

A “no brainer” – if you are a “reparations expert” it would seem to me. Shouldn’t all reparational transactions be smooth, seamless, and unencumbered? AND! Not race-based? Not race-based! In the case of Evanston – the race-based nature of the Evanston program will prompt embarrassing and justified lawsuits from proactive racists in the future. Watch. They’re coming. Evanston is on the clock.

Bottom-up “local reparations” schemes edge Foundational Black American Reparations (which is potentially the most serious and consequential atonement project in world history) into “unserious” territory. Folks like Kamm Howard (“Reparations United”) have came up with stupid-sounding terms like some “reparations triage.” What? – We have Pan African caballists dreaming up unneeded and interposing non-profit structures like “trust authorities” and “stakeholder authorities.” When everyone else that has been reparated by the federal government so far receives their money directly from the United States Treasury with no intermediaries touching it? We shouldn’t get the same non-paternalistic treatment? Can’t grown people handle their own money?

Check out this quote from a quote on page 5 of Kamm Howard’s horribly written book: “Laying the Foundation For Local Reparations” (ISBN 9798657538717):

“The creation of an independent structure to receive resources for restitution [reparations] is a distinctive qualification for a reparatory justice initiative. Those who suffered the injury or harm must have the power to make the decisions on the allocation of resources for restitution and repair. Ideally, this should be the creation of an independent Black controlled structure or structures to receive and allocate collective or individual resources for restitution as identified by the affected community, institutions or individuals, e.g., a Reparations Finance Authority, a Community Development Corporation.”

Ohhhhh! Now I understand why NAARC has access to all those “experts” in “law, economics, and politics.” Dr. Ron Daniels keeps them around to compose bullshit like this. That quote sounds real legal doesn’t it? Look at this quote deeper folks!

This is a dangerous statement not only on several levels – but even between the lines. It actually sounds like something a pimp with an MBA would come up with.

NOW —

The establishment of a Freedmen’s Bureau at the federal level (with branch offices located across the country) will properly nullify in the horizontal the NAARC and N’COBRA proposal for receptionary non-profits run by Pan Africans and their Caribbean associates labelled as “trust” or “stakeholder” authorities at the federal, state, county, and municipal levels. Those proposed non-profits – in the vertical, are nothing more than legalized multi-tiered skimming and grant-grab operations. These operations are designed to fabulously enrich the constructors and their foreign-based collaborators (like Sir Hilary Beckles of CARICOM). If reparations resources ultimately are funneled through these legally-registered and protected racket organizations? That would be an absolute disaster for American Freedmen.

Has anyone noticed that The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis expends more energy on coming up with new ideas and ways like “tiers” to attach Caribbeans and Africans to our CLEAR justice claim than getting “Pure Reparations” accomplished overall?

Outside of the “Sweet Sixteen” (explained below) list – if any person walks into any meeting or conference regarding “local” or any level of reparations wearing a kufi, a daishiki, or anything that can be construed as “African?” No! And don’t be afraid to interrogate (“How you roll my Brother? Lineage or race-based?”). “Oh Yes you seriously should.” Or if they have nearly unpronounceable surnames. And you are uncertain of their ethnic provenance. Watch Out! Those flags are a near guarantee that any serious discussions and concluding assessments will end in disaster. Keep the Pan Africans away from all important Reparations endeavors. We will be better off for it in the long run – through maintaining that strict but necessary exclusion.

It is time to get serious Family.

THE PROPER SEQUENCE

Reparations is an Economic and Business issue which unfortunately and partially must be accomplished through legislative means. But this issue must come to a certain point, after the main federal piece as settled legislation is done. Namely, Reparations being accomplished at the federal level with a properly constructed Freedmen’s Bureau first. After that is created, running, and fine tuned – a special and powerful department within the Freedmen’s Bureau should be created.

That special section would be tasked to investigate and assess, historic and present harms and deprivations committed by states, counties, cities, financial institutions, businesses, educational institutions, religious institutions, medical institutions, Native American tribes, certain religious communities (like the Mormons), and other public and private entities located within states that may have participated in and profited from slavery and post-slavery actions, laws, policies, and processes.

International Claims? On the table – dealt with differently. Stay Tuned.

This department would examine all government and societally committed harms targeted towards American Freedmen within a state and local context, whether they were anecdotal or perennial. Momentary past to ongoing now. Doesn’t matter. This department could be called: “Office of State and Municipal Examinations.” Or maybe the Family can sharply come up with something better sounding or more succinct. Let me know. But to continue, this office would employ and maintain access to the best experts in the various areas I will list further down in this post.

All endeavors in and from this office will be properly project managed. Executed to get the best and most profitable results for Freedmen. After more than 400 years of slavery, post-slavery, and neo-slavery – isn’t this the least we deserve Family?

So that I may make clear the proper overall reparations priorities and the proper order of reparation assessments and compensation between national and local.

Here In Order:

National Assessment And Finalization Order:

1. Federal – General (National Legislation)
2. State – Statewide And Regional (Focused And Specific Investigation)
3. Local – County And City (Focused And Specific Investigation)

Compensation Priority For State And Local Reparations:

1. Specified Local Individual (Resident and Relocated)
2. Specified Local Group (Resident and Relocated)
3. National Disbursement (All Foundational Black Americans / Freedmen)

At the very least again, isn’t this a better arrangement than the inappropriate and unorganized reparational slop that we’ve been served up so far by the dynamic trio of Dr. Ron Daniels (NAARC), Kamm Howard (Reparations United & N’COBRA), and the very, very Robin Rue Simmons (FirstRepair of Evanston – and suspected Haitian)? I mean, in most cases, isn’t steak preferable to slop? After 400 years of enforced hunger? (I know – some of you are vegetarians, but follow my point) Correct? So if we must do “local reparations” – let us do them in the proper way and in the proper order to get the maximum benefit. Because the Axis is not gonna do it. Why? Don’t ever forget that the Axis is connected to the Democratic Party, and that Party internally and strategically and now openly does not support Reparations. The Zionist small-hat community does not and will never support Reparations (they also provide great financial and strategic assistance to The Axis).

The Axis’ job is to make sure Reparations does not happen.

Wake Up To This Family.

THE BUSINESS

At the same time – I cannot take a harsh view of what has been accomplished in California. Understand. I must look at California as a quite necessary political accomplishment. A quite necessary strategic block. A brilliantly executed chess move that secondarily keeps The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis at bay. At the same time – and this is just my speculation: There will be no payouts as long as these actions are enforcible within the context of state power and permission. Mark my words.

I know the Democrats and the Zionist networks won’t let it happen.

I will say over and over until I firmly stand within ad nauseum territory, that the accomplishment of “Pure Reparations” is 90% in our hands and 10% in the hands of everybody and everything else. The other 10% can be overcome once our Family intentionally joins to work the effectively overcoming components of unity, focus, discernment, determination, execution, and completion. Is that reasonable?

An ex-girlfriend of mine would always complain about my lack of “emotional intelligence.” I never gave a damn about any “emotional intelligence.” I don’t cry over or about anything. Not even death. I just don’t do crying. If something adverse happens, I only reflect for the lesson, whatever it is. Then I keep it moving. When good things happen? Just a smile – no elation. When things begin – they begin. When things end – they end. And that’s it. Emotionality only gets in the way. I just keep it moving. Only caring about facts, execution, and results. That care is done within the immovably interconnected silos of politics, economics, and business. Everything else? There is nothing else Family. Just the way my mind is wired.

Now To Business…

Ahh… Reparations is Business Family. Let us start this section with a lightweight illustration about Harvard University. First, the endowment. A monster made up of 14,000 individual funds, aggregating to an undifferentiated total of $50.9 Billion as of the 2022 fiscal year. And this is not counting the combined appraised value of the land and buildings comprising the campus proper itself. A billion? Two? Second, the university was founded in 1607. An entity that was not only a purchased owner of slaves itself. But was also gifted slaves. Incredible. This school continued to benefit financially from the proceeds of enslaved labor well after the end of slavery. That is on the record Family. In the first half of the 19th Century, more than a third of the money donated to Harvard came from folks that made their fortunes from slavery and slave-produced commodities. Absorb that motherfucking shit Family.

There’s lots more. Too much for here.

Third, on April 26, 2022, Harvard President Larry Bacow released: “The Report of the Committee on Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery” (the link is below). President Bacow accepted the committee’s recommendations in full, and then announced an historic commitment of (get this) $100 Million to fund their implementation.

Now when you look at the 132 page report, one thing that really sticks out is the inclusion of Native Americans (always gotta put them in). It gives a list of “Human Beings Enslaved by Prominent Harvard Affiliates” (some slaves and their owners). Then we go on to the details of disbursement: That $100 Million goes to funding “engagement, leveraging Harvard’s excellence in education, driving innovation, creating new legacies of service, equity, and leadership.” Read the report!

(And speaking of Native Americans – all of the stuff White Supremacists were doing to the Native Americans, they were also doing what they were doing to the Black enslaved at the same time. They get paid and we don’t? It’s also strange that folks hardly ever want to discuss the fact that Native Americans also owned Black slaves and participated in the whole slavery enterprise themselves. But they got paid? Enslavers? Native Americans proved themselves as adept slave catchers of Black runaways. And what happened to the conversation about Native Americans fighting on the side of the Confederacy? Silence? Those fuckers owe us as well.)

And it goes further with a lot of weird stuff: “Honor[ing] enslaved people through memorialization, research, curricula, and knowledge dissemination.” (!?) They also give some scholarships!!! OK? Then the report clearly states in profound language: “The profound harm caused by the University’s entanglements with slavery and its legacies cannot be valued in monetary terms alone.” Understand what they mean: “Harvard can do profound harm. But ain’t nobody getting no profound money.”

That “historically committed” $100 Million will be recycled within Harvard.

If the history of Harvard is correct? If the reported amount of a now $50.9 Billion endowment is correct? (!) If the slavery involvement timeline of 1607 till after the legislative abolition of slavery is correct? And if – especially after the university virtually pissed a mere $100 Million in our direction? We get uhh 0.2% out of a fat $50.9 Billion endowment? Only to be commanded within the report to spend that lovely pittance with itself? OK? How does that “repair” anybody? Look, if that assessment was done properly? At the very, very minimum they should have peeled off at least $25 Billion of that endowment. That is the discount billing.

The commission that came up with this report are all Harvard employees. Hand picked by the President of Harvard. They were instructed as to what the findings and recommendations should be before the Commission began its research and study. Everything we can see now – came from everything we couldn’t see before. Ya See? Kinda like the ways that “local reparations” schemes are handled now.

Nothing like an in-house “investigation” done in-house.

This brief illustration shows why public, private, and government entities should be investigated and reparationally invoiced by a federally embedded government agency. That agency, being overseen by a federal board comprised of community devoted, hardcore, well-educated, money-focused, fearless, and uncompromising American Freedmen. Harvard should be tightly held in a investigational vise while being federally examined. Why? Because we don’t allow robbers to run their own courts, and be their own prosecutors and judges. Is That Correct Family?

In the same way: If a politically ambitious mayor, certain city councilmen, and certain Pan African “reparationists” that are financed by well-connected liberal and Zionist foundations, and sweethearted with the Democratic Party construct a “local reparations” program? What would you expect the actual result to be?

The result certainly wouldn’t be Reparations. That’s for sure.

No public or private entity that has ever been involved with the American slavery enterprise should ever be allowed to put itself in the power position where that entity independently sets the terms of negotiation. Where it decides whom will be the negotiators. Where it decides the process. Where it does the research. Where it controls the flow of the conversation. Where they decide the forms and components of the recompense – if any. Those entities should not be convening any kind of self-investigating “reparations commissions or task forces.” Especially those task forces that are constructed and advised via The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis (FirstRepair travels nationally and infects the country with this “task force” malignancy).

They wouldn’t have to do any of that. The “Office of State and Municipal Examinations” would conduct a solid historic and economic audit. Not to be influenced by politics, special interests, or other corrupting inputs. Closed and locked. The only thing that targeted entity has to do is open the doors to their books, files, and databases. So that the “Office” can conduct a proper investigation and eventually finalize a proper assessment.

Hammers Coming In. Not Handshakes.

Understand. Only this federally-constructed American government has the singular power of executing such an investigation with the highest possibility of not facing any refusal to deep examination. When a particular entity has been registered for examination, there should be special federal provisions established to suspend or nullify any statutes of limitations. With the supremacy of federal laws and federal guns behind those investigators deployed by the “Office” – the non-resistible extraction of resources from any assessed entity is guaranteed.

Resisting individuals and/or entities will be federally charged and prosecuted – and in some cases – imprisoned.

One last thing: Slick individuals and entities are using “local reparations” and self-established “reparations task forces” (like that Harvard bullshit) to get “in front” of and possibly nullify potential federal-level liabilities being assessed and extracted. “Local Reparations?” “Task Forces?” Understand the game being played here.

And let’s be clear about the money. If there are any disbursements or benefits provided by public or private entities in that regard before the “Office of State and Municipal Examinations” is established? It should be made clear through hard, cold legislation that any “local reparations” disbursements and any contributions to a “local reparations fund” (or similar trust constructions), to groups, and to individuals by cities, counties, states, educational entities, businesses, slicks, non-profits, certain individuals, and any other private, institutional, or public entities, would not be a matter of federal consideration in any future reparations calculus. 

THE SWEET SIXTEEN

Let’s go right in: Once Reparations are accomplished at the federal level, the political and legislative processes will have been negotiated. Completed. Law. Done. After that. Everything is BUSINESS. Not the fluidity of politics. But the concrete hardness of numbers. Not doing apologetic speeches. Not putting up commemorative plaques. But what that right and workable MONEY will be.

Understand?

Once the staff of the “Office of State and Municipal Examinations” is deployed to a particular area, that staff will not consist of slicks, operatives, politicians, activists, preachers, Pan Africans, nor any foreign infestations like (the NAARC associated) Yvette Modestin, founder of some organization called “Encuento Diaspora Afro” – whom is now Green Carding (who knows?) in Boston by way of Panama. Nope.

That staff will consist of highly trained and experienced professionals tasked to discover, research, measure, calculate, identify, assess, and to finalize what is owed. This staff will be organized into five areas comprising an aggregated total of sixteen security-clearanced, impartially-minded, and non-political professionals.

And They Are These:

Area I. History And Incidents – This area researches and resurrects the general racist histories of institutions, businesses, states, counties, and cities. And discovers and assesses the history, details, and accuracy of specific incidents.

• State and Local Historians
• Business Historians
• Economic Historians
• Research Librarians

Area II. Investigation And Compilation – This focused area digs deeper into the documents, the numbers, the people, the incidents, the entities, and where they lead. General assessments of, and initial organization of gathered documents are made at this point. This area also does interviews of entities, victims and descendants.

• Investigative Lawyers
• Forensic Actuaries
• Forensic Genealogists
• Cold Case Investigators

Area III. Legalities And Injury Timelines – This area deals with the history and impacts of racist legislation, ordinances, injustified court decisions, unsettled issues, and policies. This area also produces general opinions and specific assessments of any harms and losses inflicted through legislation, policing, and the courts.

• State-level Judicial Historians
• Legal Historians
• State-level Constitutional Historians

Area IV. Numbers And Assessment – This area is laser-focused on public and private operating entities that exist now – then going back. Along with information produced by the staff historians – determining their culpability as far as slavery and post-slavery harms. Further but final assessments, pre-finalizing and finalizing the numbers. Aggregating and comparing findings. Organizing and producing the report. Producing final suggestions for negotiation. Producing the final invoice.

• Real Estate Appraisers
• Business Appraisers
• Forensic Economists
• Forensic Accountants

Area V. Final Negotiation And Invoicing – This area presents the findings and the final invoice to the audited entity. Negotiations will be done here if necessary.

• Restitution Negotiators and Finalizers

There!!! Ain’t that better? Let’s GO: Now – how would any finalized assessments be distributed and in what forms would they take? Depends. Remember, state and municipal reparations would be more specific and incident-focused as opposed to lineage-based federal reparations which are necessarily a general and universal construction (within the eligible group – of course).

In some cases there may be specific individual or group recompense. In other cases, any recompense would finally be uploaded to a National Reparations Reserve Fund – its holdings would be disbursed semi-annually to all American Freedmen. In some cases land or built property may be simply returned to individuals or descendants (along with exemptions from property, estate, and transfer taxes for a negotiated period of non-rescindable abatement of no less than twenty-five years and solid legal guarantees of development rights if possible) – or individuals or descendants may want to get the assessed value in cash. Their Choice. The Bruce’s Beach identification of descendants, value assessment, and negotiated return of land in California is a recent example of this (the deal was unfortunately finalized with no negotiated development rights). I think we’ll do better next time.

Understand. Some assessments may necessitate an upload to the National Reparations Reserve Fund (which is held and managed by the Freedmen’s Bureau) – especially assessments related to the horrid conditions that created “The Great Migration” or assessments related to the “Fugitive Slave Law” – that, enforced in so-called “free states.” That would also include assessments related to “redlining” that circumscribed Freedmen to and inside certain areas, and provoked a kind of government-induced forced relocation and ghettoisation. And that’s because those situations were more undifferentiated. And necessarily, more generalized.

Some compensations would need to be more generalized because the injury was more systemic, the harm covered large populations simultaneously, and caused large movements of people. In those cases a complex disaggregation would make no sense. Understand, as a priority, the best focus of local and state reparations will always be on putting all recompense directly into the hands of the individuals and groups that were particularly injured in a particular locality (in cash). If no specific individuals or groups can be located within a seven year limitation period – that recompense would be uploaded to the National Reparations Reserve Fund and disbursed on a semi-annual basis to all eligible Foundational Black Americans.

The “Office” will never put resources into the hands of non-profits, churches, other organizations, or certain institutions that may historically had been involved with the original harms. A universal portability of eligibility is important. If a family was harmed historically in South Carolina – and via “The Great Migration” now lives in Michigan? That does not in any way nullify their entitlement. If they presently live in, let’s say France. No nullification. No problem. Just show some paperwork.

The “Office” will not create nor fund any “programs.” Programs would be up to the state, county, or city to independently establish. Whatever they decide to do would be outside of what the “Office” assesses. And whatever they do would not have any impact on any ongoing investigations or final decisions of the “Office.” The “Office” is there to not only do hard assessments, but also to specifically tailor the appropriate compensation to the appropriate individuals or groups, and to make sure that all conclusions are either cash or something that would be speedily convertible into cash. The recipients would then decide what is most appropriate.

Oh – and Family: I want you to notice that businesses, universities, churches, hospitals, other public entities, and even the Native Americans will not be left off the hook. Even though governments and The Government enabled through law what they did – they freely chose to participate in what was legally enabled.

Another function of the “Office” is to assure that any liabilities assessed against cities, counties, and states cannot be taken out of federal funds. They themselves have to figure that deal out. Just like they figured out how to hurt and/or deprive a motherfucker with no problem? They can figure this shit out too. The bill is due.

01/15/2024 ADDENDUM REGARDING WASHINGTON D.C.

Process the strategy: In the January 10, 2024 online edition of “Market Watch” our Dr. William Darity states that the cost of a nationwide Reparations program now approaches $16 trillion (the debt meter is ticking). And that he would support a local effort only in Washington D.C. because the federal district can make an appeal for restitution directly to the federal government. Understand the strategy: “This could establish a precedent on a nationwide basis,” he said.

Family: Reparations = Business = Dollars. This is ALL BUSINESS at this point. And it needs to be looked at this way. It needs to be handled this way. In our own minds. All of the fucking money. No emotionalism. No compromise.

Harvard And The Legacy Of Slavery Link:

https://radcliffe-harvard-edu-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/43444f4b-d5f6-4d71-963d-e667b548a58d/HLS-whole-report_FINAL_2022-09-14FINAL-ua2.pdf

Associated With “By The People Media” – Link Below:

https://www.youtube.com/@bythepeoplemedia

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair Use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

I was assisted in writing this post by a bottle of Ornellaia – Le Serre Nuove 2020 Red Blend (Bolgheri, Italy). A fine Mediterranean “Super Tuscan” – a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah with Sangiovese. This wine is suitable for further aging. A good vintage that can only improve to great with time. Ripe. Warm. Concentrated. Full-bodied structure. High acidity. Moderate tannins. Opening with oak, vanilla, and chocolate. A sustain of blackberries, leather, and plums. Ending with toasted cinnamon, chocolate, and cherries. Smooth finish.

“To outline the problem is to chart the course of the Negro freedom movement. We have come to the day when a piece of freedom is not enough for us as human beings nor for the nation of which we are part. We have been given [and have accepted] pieces, but unlike bread, a slice of which does not diminish hunger, a piece of liberty no longer suffices. Freedom is like life. You cannot be given life in installments. You cannot be given breath but no body, nor a heart but no blood vessels. Freedom is one thing – you have it all, or you are not free.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I will be periodically posting random – contained thoughts and observations centered generally on reparations in batches of seven. Second Page.

I

What is going on in Evanston lately with the loud demand for cash payments instead of housing vouchers starkly reveals the gross incompetence of The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis when it comes to all Reparations matters. I personally have monitored this program since its inception. I explicitly asked Robin Rue Simmons not to do this under a Reparations banner. Now that folks have found their nuts and are now demanding for cash rather than being forced to accept toilets and Tootsie Rolls as Reparations – the mess is exposing itself further. The residents of Evanston in the beginning were demanding cash. And of course, the paternalistic trio of Robin Rue Simmons, Kamm Howard, and Dr. Ron Daniels said NO!!! “You are going to do this the way WE tell you to do this!”

The heavy hand of the Axis.

Problem: Tax liability. Combined Illinois and Federal tax burden? 40%.

Eligible Evanston residents should get THE WHOLE $25,000 in cash.

And remember folks! This bullshit is supposed to be “a model” for other cities to emulate. If the Axis really knew what they were doing, there would have been the responsible pre-reparations legislative work done and put in place BEFORE the activation of any kind of “local reparations” programs even started. You know, “reparations experts” type stuff. LIKE? Approaching the Illinois State Assembly and the Governor to wholly exempt any “local reparations” disbursements from state income tax. Legislatively establishing a special categorization in perpetuity with state protections of the purposes, limits, and parameters of such programs.

After that is secured – THEN moving on to the federal level, to encourage legislation to make those same state and local-level disbursements exempt from taxation at the federal level with special categorization and protections. That’s what a “local reparations” program looks like when you know what you’re doing.

The other things that should be taken care of would be prohibitions on federal monies being used in “local reparations” programs. Along with certain warning clauses in these programs that should be done and embedded. Those clauses would establish that any “local reparations” disbursements and any contributions to a “local reparations fund” by cities, counties, states, educational entities, businesses, non-profits, certain individuals, and any other private, institutional, or public entities – should not be a matter of federal consideration in any future reparations calculus. Because slick people are using “local reparations” to get “in front” of anticipated potential federal-level liabilities being assessed and extracted.

This we must stop.

Those previous disbursements and contributions should not in any way modify, mitigate, or eliminate any future determinations of federal-level reparations liability owed (and to then be federally extracted) once any deprivations, injuries, and de facto policies previously done by such entities are proven, or any liabilities previously created are determined as such through forensic investigation by a federally established Freedmen’s Bureau. Does that make sense?

II

As many oughts that I have with Professor Black Truth – I must say that he was hitting on all cylinders with this one.

III

Rumors!? Folks keep telling me that Kamm Howard is Jamaican. Can’t find any substantiating information. Doesn’t mean that he isn’t. How many American Freedmen do you know that are named “Kamm” though? If he is? That would explain a lot. Nothing about his family or kinships on the internet. Rumors!? Folks keep telling me that Robin Rue Simmons is Haitian. Can’t find any substantiating information. None. Doesn’t mean that she isn’t. But folks in Evanston have told me that the Haitian community there is particularly protective of Ms. Simmons. OK. How many American Freedmen do you know that have the French middle or surname of “Rue” though? How many? Just asking. They speak French in Haiti. There is a “Caribbean Hijack” of Reparations in Evanston and nationally.

Notice this: In Kamm Howard’s poorly written and illogically laid-out book: “Laying the Foundation For Local Reparations” (ISBN 9798657538717). The first printing of which has “Reparations” misspelled on the front cover.

On pages 14 to 17 of that book there is a spreadsheet of sorts laying out the components of NAARC, Evanston, and Chicago reparations plans. Page 15 has NAARC demanding a “reparations and African knowledge program.” Page 16 has a box for Evanston that says “Write a Check(!?)” I kid you not. Along with boxes for some “Matching Funds(?), a Sovereign Fund(?), an Art Gallery(?), support for Caribbean Activities(?), a connection to Africa(?).” OK. Page 16 also has a box in the Chicago column for a “Private Reparations Fund.” Sounds Caribbean to me.

What “Caribbean Activities” should funds that should be going exclusively into the bank accounts of descendants of persons enslaved in America be supporting? And finally, Page 17 has in the Evanston column a box for “Trauma Services Theater Therapy” (not a misprint). What psychotherapist does that? What the hell is it?

Oh – by the way. The Pan Africans in our Reparations issue have put their Caribbeans in control of key aspects of our Reparations struggle. From Sheila Jackson Lee at the top – to people like Yvette Modestin and Lionel Jean Baptiste in the middle and bottom. We gotta TAKE our issue back and clean house. Now…

IV

Pan Africanism is an elegantly strange construction. In that as a moniker leading to its dictionary definition, is not corrupt in itself. We have thirteen letters benignly encapsulating an aspirational political philosophy of potential unity and exchange. Something that could be good if it worked – the problem is continental Africans themselves (and everybody else) have rejected Pan Africanism. With that, Pan Africanism in itself is not corrupt Family. But! The filthy Democrat Party-fed Pan Africanism as practiced by The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis – demands corruption. To be effectively operative and to fulfill its assigned mission. It has to. It must.

Just to be clear folks. All corrupt and deprivative acts and practices are not necessarily synonymous with illegal or “criminal acts” in an American de jure sense. Some acts and practices can be quite legal. Everything that the Axis does as far as I can see, and as of this writing is legal. Like redlining was simultaneously deprivative and legal. Slavery was simultaneously heinous and legal. Get It?

When white men openly RAPED our grandmothers. That was legal. GET IT?

Understand: A simultaneity of White Supremacy and Pan Africanism has been duplicitously rendered to us by being filtered through Red, Black, and Green lenses. It’s hard to see the White Supremacy behind the kufis and daishikis.

The power structure figured out that Pan Africanism is the best vehicle to effect a stealth mission to undermine a Pure Reparations advocation movement and potential Reparations program. To use a non-existent, illusive Diasporan unity to off-track our attention and energy from a reparative federal conclusion. White Supremacy found The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis to be the most capable of duping the Black American public. Those kufis and raggedy dreadlocks sealed the deal.

Some of the highest incomes can be made by American Freedmen in this country if you participate in the political-distraction complex. Professional ballers plying their trade in highly distractive spectator sports like basketball and football. Rappers injecting the normalization of degeneracy, profligacy, and fratricide into the minds of our male children. Prostitution and stripper culture promoted to Black women and girls as the ideal feminine through Wet Ass Pussy contractors like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. And you can get well paid cosplaying Africans and selling fake reparations programs to states and municipalities. Big money there.

Only a few seem to notice that those “local reparations” programs use every possible means to keep CASH PAYMENTS away from Freedmen (fortunately some of us are now noticing). The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis – is just following the instructions of the Democratic Party and empowered White liberals as they have been assigned to do. “Caribbeans? Any Nigger will do!” (white supremacy). “As long as the mission to kill Reparations is accomplished. That has to be done.”

Remember: “As they are assigned to do” Family. The assignment is to take and/or redirect Reparations resources. To absorb, miseducate, and use all Freedmen legislative incumbents. Through those Freedmen incumbents – they can keep a chokehold around the (our) Reparations issue. We can see right now how they’ve poisoned the movement with the nefarious introduction of “local reparations.” Propagating that “this is a first step” nonsense. Anyone going along with any “first step” bullshit is either an idiot, an operative, or a collaborator with the Enemy.

Suspects!

I have a book: “The Handbook of Reparations” (ISBN: 978-0-19-929192-2), by Pablo De Greiff. This book goes into detail about every major accomplished reparations program throughout the world. I read the whole 1020 pages. Even though each program is profoundly different and designed with different ends, there were three commonalities that were consistent across all programs. They are: 1. Narrow and clear specificity regarding the group that should be reparated. 2. Coherency as far as what the components of a particular reparations program should be. And 3. All of those programs were enacted, administered, and expended only from the federal level. The Axis offers none of this certainty and sophistication. We deserve better.

Make no mistake Family – if White Supremacy deems it necessary, the Axis will load us into the ovens. Shove us off a cliff with no reserve. That’s who they are.

V

The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments make the American Freedmen the only ethnic group specifically enshrined and specifically endowed with the completion of rights in the United States Constitution. All Foundational Black Americans are actually and thoroughly Federal Supercitizens because of that specific enshrinement and endowment. At the risk of sounding communistic to some – we are truly “First Among Equals.” The only challenge with this is to cause the multitudes of Foundational Black Americans to understand this. And then for our people to move accordingly based on that enlightened understanding.

VI

I have several oughts with “The Black Authority.” BUT!!! This is INTERESTING – Watch This:

VII

In a capitalist country – Politics, Economics, and Business are the only things that matter. Everything operational in this world, including your patronization of spectator sports, whom you choose to have sex with (or not), where you buried your parents, and what brand of sneakers you prefer to buy, comes under one or more sub-categories within the main categories of Politics, Economics, and Business. NOW – we should remember Jim Crow and Black Codes. A stack of laws that politically decided where you could eat, where you could use the rest room, how you could walk on a sidewalk. Insane White versus Black tribalism. See?

Politics – Economics – Business

Transcontinental tribalism is the primary reason why Africa as a whole is a failure. That same tribalism enabled tribes in opposition and collaboration to gather our ancestors and sell them to the Europeans. Africa’s misfortune. Wasteful. (!) But wastefulness is where we are going within the Reparations movement. In Africa, the tribalism there is more understandable. Between tribes – folks are culturally, phenotypically, religiously, and linguistically different. Easy to see and do.

But “tribalism” between us? Here? The descendants of American slaves? We may differ phenotypically, even within immediate families. But within the forty plus millions of us – we are the most related genetically, most connected culturally, and the most linguistically joined than any other people on the planet. Whether you go to Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Kansas City, Atlanta, or the Sea Islands?

You are Them and They are You. The intra-beefs are destroying the powerful potential utility of our relatedness. I call it “Blood-and-Crip-ism.” An internal ground game that we play only between ourselves, with the self-imposed finality of death and time inevitability potentially concluding the end game. The Enemy confidently chills at the end of the end game. Always. Eventually and decisively winning from both sides of the argument. Holding a prison cell for the winner – and a casket for the loser. That is the clear and ultimate reality. Understand?

Family? It’s wake-up and reset time.

END OF POST

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair Use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

I was assisted in writing this post by a bottle of Chateau Leoville Poyferre – Saint-Julien (Grand Cru Classe) Bordeaux Red Blend 2008. I know. I know. This shit is $125.00 – but ain’t a brother allowed to treat himself SOMETIMES? A 4.2 Point killer Bordeaux. I think it’s at least a 4.7 Pointer. Bold. Dry. Tight structure. Leading with oak, cassis, and plums. A sustain of tobacco, black cherries, and jam. Ending with ripe blackberries, plums, and smoke. Medium savory finish.

“… The slave experience and White racism has been extremely costly to Blacks.

It will continue to be costly in a myriad of ways for Blacks and the nation until White America reparates and repents its exploitative racist past and present. A decision by White America to immediately cease and desist its racist practices against Black America and engage in a range of affirmative action initiatives will not suffice to repay Blacks the damages which have been done to them.

Only Reparations can economically redeem the injustices of slavery and White supremacy.”

Dr. Amos N. Wilson (1998)

This is a reposting and expansion of a Twitter “direct message” conversation between myself and a sincere brother whom is definitely a lineage-based Reparationist. This conversation was done from 02/10/2023 till 02/12/2023. The things that he is raising here I feel are ideas to make sure that those that are eligible are getting what they are due. I do have pushback here – but not from the standpoint of what the brother is attempting to accomplish, but just from a political strategy standpoint. Let me make clear that I do not doubt the sincerity of this brother to get Reparations accomplished. This is a sincere exchange between two folks trying to get the job done. Don’t put anything else in it.

This dialogue began with the good brother (named “QUERY” here) posting a link to a U.S. Department of the Interior website (linked below). Paged “Tribes” – and subpaged “Tribal Enrollment Process.” This subpage explains the tribal enrollment process, its purposes, tribal membership requirements, how to enroll, and locating what particular tribe you may belong to. I read the subpage. There were several eligibility processes and required proofs described that mirror and/or overlap the eligibility proofs and processes that we require to establish eligibility for lineage-based Reparations. I did find the website and what he was proposing interesting.

But the part that we centered our exchange on primarily was what the website describes as: “Tribal Blood Quantum.” QUERY describes a Freedmen version as “Native Blood Quantum.” This being accomplished via “Genetic DNA Sampling.” So – myself (named “RESPONSE” here), being a devoted “Darityism” disciple naturally pushed back and calmly spelled out my objections. I did some expansion (and grammatical corrections) on our original dialogue for the sake of this post.

Tribal Enrollment Process

QUERY: To your recent post… I’ve sent this information to five people who have some connection to the Reparations movement with no response. You’re the last person I’m sending this to privately before I start broadcasting it.

To the question of: “How can a race-based qualifier stand up to constitutional scrutiny?” In reference to the “must have lived as a Black American for the last ten or so years” in many Reparations legislations and discussions. I believe there is a solution which would remove this race-based qualifier.

The short version is this: There is a problem with the constitutionality of the current proposed identification of whom is eligible for Reparations. I believe this solution covers two critical areas that are not race-based but would be firmly lineage-based and can be proven [both] legally and scientifically:

Genetic DNA sampling.

I propose the process starts with lineage documentation through genealogical records which everyone agrees with. Usage of the “Freedmen Descendant” status as a matter of law. Removing the race-based requirement of “ten years of living as Black” – to this:

Allowing for random genetic sampling – not 100% – but maybe 10% or whatever is legally acceptable and also using the same genetic sampling to mount legal challenges to anyone who is not phenotypically Black American. Meaning they look white, but still have Descendant lineage, or they are clearly of Diasporan lineage. Because genetics do not confirm race and have no basis in racial classification – but are an accepted legal basis for paternity which is lineage. And DNA is used to connect people groups to specific geographic locations – it would provide a legally acceptable means to protect Reparations from outsider fraud.

Because Black populations all around the planet have different admixtures, it is highly likely Black Americans are unique. And this can be proven to be a legal standard in the event a sufficient paper trail cannot be established. And again – done as a preventative measure against fraudulent claims. My suspicion is this barrier would reduce fraud, and [this should] only be used in [clarifying] a small percentage of claims.

Ty Burrell [1] and Joe Manganiello [2] having Lineage are two compelling examples of why this is necessary. The constitutionality of this is the legal hurdle that must be overcome. I believe using Native Blood Quantum legal doctrine gives us this constitutional window. Nearly every [Native American Tribe] still uses Blood Quantum to determine eligibility for membership. The Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs also recognizes this system.

DNA genetic testing is an updated version of Blood Quantum eligibility, as far as I can determine. It removes the race qualifier and is based on current and historic legal precedent. I have a list of ten or so links and a few pictures to share also, if you are interested in looking deeper into this.

Query’s References 1 and 2:

[1] Ty Burrell (Tyler Gerald Burrell) is an American actor and comedian. He is mostly of English and German descent. He discovered through “Finding Your Roots” that he is also of African descent through his four times great-grandmother, a formerly enslaved girl from Tennessee who became a homesteader in Oregon. But his going-far-back chain of government paperwork says “Caucasian.” A “declared” white man. Ineligible according to the Darity standard. Locked Out.

[2] Joe Manganiello (Joseph Michael Manganiello) is an American actor. He is mostly of German and Armenian descent. He discovered through “Finding Your Roots” that his mixed-race paternal grandfather was African American. His paternal lineage was traced back to Manganiello’s fifth great-grandfather. His great-grandfather’s name was Plato Turner – an African slave who was freed before slavery was abolished in Massachusetts, who then went on to fight for the Continental Army during the American Revolution. His government paperwork says “Caucasian.” Ineligible according to the Darity standard. Permanently.

RESPONSE: Several constitutional lawyers/scholars (notably Erwin Chemerinski) have found no problems constitutionally with the Darity eligibility standard.

One part establishes natural lineage from American slavery and/or free American residency during a particular time period. The other part establishes self and parentally intentional legal identification (such as: continuous in-born American citizenship; chain of relatedness to originally enslaved people; chain of relatedness to what can be called North American domiciled “indigenous” or pre-slavery Black people; chain of relatedness to 1865 manumitted and free Black people that were originally counted in the 1870 Census; how you and/or your parents/grandparents identify/identified you/yourself and lineaged relations intentionally).

Race does bleed into this. But race is not the BASIS. Intentional, continuous, and specific injury is the BASIS. And it just so happens that those who were primarily and historically injured in this case were originally enslaved and imported Africans (along with free and indigenous Blacks). We have millions of records and books and living testimonies proving this. A great and undeniable history. But because of genetic admixtures that are all over the place in our case (I have folks in my family that look white – but are adamant about their Blackness) – Blood Quantum testing would be a nightmare to be sure (an unneeded added complexity).

AND – I do wish that folks would stop bringing DNA into our equation. In our case – the Darity standard is the best solution. In any program [where direct cash payments are involved] – you are gonna have a few frauds that slip through. For us, maybe plus or minus 3%. Add in some harsh federal penalties for Reparations fraud – maybe we could get that potential down to 1%. Some motherfuckers are always gonna try it. At the same time, I understand your point. But in our case – race happens to be a secondary consequence and proximation to the BASIS. Which is slavery and post-slavery injuries. The United States Supreme Court understands this. And this is why if this is challenged – it will still pass constitutional muster. Even if that court is entirely composed of conservative justices.

Blood Quantum testing makes sense for American Indians because tribal bloodlines have remained relatively stable over centuries, and you are targeting a more or less “contained” population (or intentional endogamy). Whereas our enslaved “tribe” has been “open-ended” (or passive exogamy) over centuries as far as diverse genetic inputs – even up till freedom, being continuously infused into our already complicated racial mosaic. In our case, let’s say an African DNA percentage standard was established that you had to meet or surpass.

Consider This:

In your own family you would see a bunch of folks (lineaged from American slaves) being disqualified. And I mean real folks in your family that would be qualified without a hitch under the Darity standard. In my family A WHOLE BUNCH OF US would be disqualified. Out! I have twin cousins that surely are darker than me – but they amazingly, have a higher percentage of Caucasoid genetics than I do. So slippery phenotypical qualifiers can definitely go out the door as well. I’d rather not introduce more and unnecessary complexity to the eligibility process. I would rather keep it straight and simple.

QUERY: Interesting… I’d love to see any case law that establishes race as an acceptable secondary consequence. I was under the impression based on Erwin Chemerinski’s testimony that the race-based qualifier would be an issue? This is relieving information. I appreciate you taking time to discuss this.

RESPONSE: Recent case law has been careful to not establish race as an acceptable secondary consequence. Lately courts have been using a judicial evaluative tool called “strict scrutiny” before they allow litigants to move forward substantially with any “race-based” litigation. And all adjudications regarding race recently have been guided and concluded by and in varying degrees by this. For our purposes – in regards to Reparations – race has been reduced to a “happenstantial” position. It is just that the injured majority in our case “happens to be Black people descended from Black people enslaved in the United States”. Understand?

An extreme example: Let’s say a white person is walking through a Black neighborhood and a horrific gas explosion occurs. Many casualties happen. The majority of folks killed in this incident – 99% were Black (mind you – this is still “happenstantial”). The white guy is also killed. But does the fact that he is not Black exclude his family from compensation? No! “Injury” always has to be the centerpiece. The part regarding eligibility as far as self-identification is not so much about “race” – but about an individual presenting the most accurate identification and [that person] legally establishing [with legally certified and state authorized documents] the highest likelihood of belonging to the injured group. That is and as it should be – just the uncomplicated and straightforward requirements.

Let’s see what Erwin Chemerinski has to say on the subject of “Strict Scrutiny:”

I. [It is] clearly established that racial classifications will be allowed only if the government can meet the heavy burden of demonstrating that the discrimination is necessary to achieve a compelling government purpose. In other words, the government must show an extremely important reason for its action and it must demonstrate that the goal cannot be achieved through any less discriminatory alternative. The Court has expressly declared that all racial classifications – whether disadvantaging or helping minorities – must meet strict scrutiny.

II. Ironically, the Supreme Court first articulated the requirement for strict scrutiny for discrimination based on race and national origin in Korematsu v. United States, which upheld the constitutionality of the relocation of Japanese Americans during World War II. The Court declared: “[A]ll legal restrictions which curtail the civil rights of a single racial group are immediately suspect. That is not to say that all such restrictions are unconstitutional. It is to say that courts must subject them to the most rigid scrutiny. Pressing public necessity may sometimes justify the existence of such restrictions; racial antagonism never can.

III. …it is firmly established that race and national origin classifications must meet the most exacting standard of judicial review. Such discrimination will be tolerated only if the government can prove that it is necessary to achieve a compelling government purpose.

Pages 752 and 753: Constitutional Law 6th Edition (2019) – by Erwin Chemerinski

QUERY: OK. So based on this explanation – it sounds like you are open to the idea of what many would consider as “white passing” being accepted as eligible for Reparations; which I believe strengthens the legal idea of it being race-neutral since it would include some non-Black people.

As my family has the admixture of European, Native American, and African.

RESPONSE: Just about every Freedman / ADOS / Foundational Black American has the same genetic mixtures in different proportions with the African portion being the most highlighted for our purposes. I have a few members of my family that can “white pass” on the street. But their paperwork to a man says Negro / Black / African American, etc. In our instance and our purposes – regardless of phenotype – if their PAPERWORK (birth certificate, etc.) labels them as anything other than – Black / Negro / African American – that automatically takes them out of eligibility. We are too good at records today. Especially in the past fifty years.

QUERY: Got you.

RESPONSE: Would it be okay to make this conversation part of a blogpost (without identifying you – of course)?

QUERY: Definitely. I will continue to believe [that] using genetic lineage is a legally indisputable and constitutional method for anyone who may not have adequate paperwork beyond 1900. [There are] small pockets of our population, especially those who migrated north and West and lost connection to the South – including orphans, adopted, and others who can simply connect to their roots with a simple scientific test. I’d love to read the article.

END OF DIALOGUE

POST-DIALOGUE COMMENTARY

I

What is “Blood Quantum?” This is a highly controversial measurement of the amount of “Indian blood” that may be part of your genetics. If you believe you are Native American – this can affect your identity, your relationships, and whether or not you – or your children can become a citizen of the tribe that you belong to.

This was initially a system that the federal government imposed onto tribes in an effort to limit their citizenship (thereby limiting Reparations expenditures as much as possible). Several Native nations, including the Navajos, and some specific Chippewa sub-tribes, still use this method as part of their citizenship requirements. And how tribes use a quantum varies from tribe to tribe. The Navajos require a minimum of 25 percent “Navajo blood.” The Turtle Mountain Chippewas require a minimum of 25 percent of any Indian blood, as long as it’s in combination with some “Turtle Mountain blood.” Understand Family – this is quite problematic.

Why is this problematic? Because tribes are highly racialized.

A good way to understand the problematics is to know that there is a history of Freedmen whom are Black individuals who were living as fully incorporated members of Indian tribes. And when the original tribal enrollments were taken (starting at the turn of the 20th Century), oftentimes those Freedmen were not included – even though those individuals were of mixed heritage: Black and Native American. And because of their Black appearance (phenotype malfunction!), they were listed on a separate roll. So at present, the ramification is that they do not have that original enrollee ancestor documented as a full tribal member. They do not have enough blood quantum, and therefore cannot be extended tribal membership.

Primary Native American identity is actually a political thing. And “Blood Quantum” is disturbingly related to something that American Freedmen are more familiar with. How about the “one-drop-rule?” As we should know – that “one-drop-rule” measured the amount of “Black blood” (How?) that Black folks had in society. This is phenotypic racism. An ensurance that every person that had that one drop would be circumscribed under Jim Crow – and earlier, fully enslaved.

“Blood Quantum” emerged out of the white mind as a way to measure “Indian-ness” through a construct of race. Their white-assed thinking was that over time, Indians would breed themselves out and eventually relieve the federal government of their legal duties to uphold treaty obligations and to slowly mitigate reparations payments to as close to nothing as possible. Is there a lesson for us here?

“Redbone?” – “High Yella?” Where’d that come from? OK?

As an extension of this conversation – read this article that was recently sent to me by Query. I think you will find this to be quite interesting. The lady in the middle of the first picture reminds me a little of Queen Mother Moore. From this – you can figure why the uncomplicated Darity standard is probably the best way to go.

They Look White – But Say They’re Black

II

As far as those that are adopted or orphaned: Adopted? The adopted person legally takes on the legal lineage of the adopting individual(s). So – if the adopting parent is a Freedman – upon the entry of the final adoption decree, the now adopted child is treated by law (in all possible and natural respects) as if he or she had been born to the adopting parents. That adopted child, therefore, gains the right to inherit from the adoptive parents and adoptive parents relatives. As long as that child stays within that legally relationed loop – there should be no problem. So, any kind of genetic testing would not be needed here. Even within a Reparations context.

The only aspect of this situation that would have to be worked out through a commission – is the scenario where a Freedman child is adopted by white or other non-Freedman parents. And that is because that child’s biological parents’ parental rights were terminated – so that child would have no automatic legal rights to their inheritance or assets. That legal connection would be instead transferred to that child’s adoptive parents. There could be a special process established for this.

Orphaned? In this case – we are talking about a living person that was orphaned and does not know who their parents are. In a first world country. This is a special case that does not require paperwork going back to 1900 and beyond. Even if an individual was abandoned in let’s say 1930 (as of this writing that would make him/her 93 years of age) any good genealogist can “construct” a lineage. It would have been nearly impossible to have been born in this country after 1900 and NOT leave some kind of potentially researchable and reconstructable trail. That kind of hidden existential containment would be very hard to accomplish over time.

And since we now have the accurate government-generated data that Diasporans did not start coming into this country in substantial numbers until after 1965? And if this person was born within the second and third quarters of the 20th Century? OK? What are the chances that this individual is probably a Freedman? And that establishment can be done in certainty without any blood or DNA testing.

III

Complexity can introduce non-productive opposing arguments and the “what ifs” and “whataboutisms” that can open the door to more unneeded “ideas” – both valid and invalid. These late “additions to the issue” can be used by Reparations opponents to bog down a movement they don’t want to exist in the first place. Bifurcations, trifurcations, unnecessary details, and the hot divisions and special categories some of us come up with – these things only empower The Enemy.

We are ethnically at a point of convergence now. We can no longer hang on to past disaggregations being fanned as a point of argument. Whether your lineage here began as indigenous, enslaved, free Negroes, part Native American, or whatever?

Understand:

Unless your lineage impossibly stayed genetically pure – socially isolated – and tribally separated from the rest of us every day from 500 years ago till now – you would be in the wrong space. Because if you were able to accomplish that – you are in the wrong place. You’d need to be about the business of pushing your own claim. And writing a book as well – because that would be one hell of an accomplishment.

This is American Freedmen space over here, doing something particular for us. (!) I think we as a practical organizing, legal, and legislative strategy need to intelligently focus on our 21st Century relatedness rather than on 500-years-past disaggregated starting points. Blood Quantum? This is just my opinion Family.

Please share and comment.

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair Use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

I was assisted in this republishing by a bottle Folie a Deux – Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2017 (Sonoma California). A deep red Zinfandel. Cheap! Only $21.00. Concrete structure. Bold. Smooth – moderate tannins. Soft acidity. Moderately dry. Leading with oak, scotch, and blackberries. A sustain of vanilla, raspberries, and cream. Ending in cherries, mocha, and spice. Long – fluid finish.

“New York City and southern cotton were a matched pair, sewn together by financial rewards and economic expansion. By the eve of the war, hundreds of businesses in New York, and countless more throughout the north, were connected to, and dependent on, cotton. As New York became the fulcrum of the U.S. cotton trade, merchants, shippers, auctioneers, bankers, brokers, insurers, and thousands of others were drawn to the burgeoning urban center. They packed lower Manhattan, turning it into the nation’s emporium, in which products from all over the world were traded. Before the Civil War, the city’s fortunes and its economic development were considered by many to be inseparable from those of the cotton producing states.”

Dr. William A. Darity and A. Kirsten Mullen – Page 53: From Here to Equality

I ran across this while I was looking for something else online.

I stopped and read this. I think this is one of the most important short pieces written by Dr. Darity and his wife A. Kirsten Mullen. It was originally published on the Roosevelt Institute Blog. With his permission, I reposted it here. Even though this was written in 2020 – I think it deserves a serious second look in 2023. We all need to read, think on, and digest what is being expressed here. It’s worth it.

True Reparations Are a National Debt:

Localities and Individuals Should Not Foot the Bill and Cannot Build Systemic Remedies Alone

February 25, 2020

The reparations debate is longstanding and deep-rooted. In our book, “From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the 21st Century – First Edition” (University of North Carolina Press, 2020 – there is now a 2022 Second Edition – linked above), we advance the following general definition of reparations: “a program of acknowledgement, redress, and closure for a grievous injustice.”

Acknowledgement is the admission of wrong and the declaration of responsibility for restitution by the culpable party. Redress is the act of restitution – compensation for the wrong – carried out by the culpable party. Closure is the settling of accounts between the victimized community and the culpable party – the arrival at conciliation. [1] Closure means that the debt has been paid and that the victimized community will make no further claims for restitution, barring the occurrence of new atrocities or the recurrence of old atrocities.

I. An Appropriate Level of Restitution

The specific case for reparations for Black American descendants of United States slavery is predicated on 10 the cumulative damages of slavery; 2) nearly a century-long epoch of legal segregation (known as the Jim Crow era) and white terrorism; and 3) the ongoing harms of racialized mass incarceration, police executions of unarmed blacks, credit, housing, and employment discrimination, as well as the enormous racial wealth gap. We do not assign blame for this litany of harms to specific individuals or institutions. We must emphasize: black reparations are not a matter of personal or singular institutional guilt; black reparations are a matter of national responsibility.

In our estimation, black-white wealth inequality is the most powerful indicator of the full effects of racial injustice in the United States. Black Americans constitute about 13 percent of the nation’s population but own less than 3 percent of the nation’s wealth. Although there are many ways to calculate reparations, including an estimation of the present value of the time stolen from the enslaved or the present value of the 40-acre land grants promised – but denied – to the freedmen, we believe that a true reparations policy must make the black wealth share at least consistent with the black share of the American population. This will necessitate building the eligible black American level of asset holdings by $10 to $12 trillion, or approximately $250,000 for each black individual.

So, who should pay the bill? In From Here to Equality, we argue that the culpable party is the United States government. Authority is constructed and contextual, and all three phases of atrocities catalogued here were products of the legal and authority framework established by the federal government. In many instances, the federal government further sanctioned racial atrocities by silence and inaction.

This means, in turn, that local or piecemeal – little by little – attempts at racial atonement do not constitute reparations proper. In many instances. local initiatives that parade under the label of “reparations” are not that at all. Local government actions called “reparations” – whether at the state or municipal level – frequently constitute an admission that atrocities have been committed followed by allocations for research, or the construction of centers, rather than compensatory payments to black Americans. However, these scattered steps to stop an ongoing harm do not heal the wound produced by the harm; usually, they do not involve any compensatory payment.

Even if they do afford compensatory payment, a series of local initiatives is highly unlikely to match the minimum bill for black reparations. As we noted above, it will require at least $10 trillion to eliminate the black-white wealth disparity. Taken separately or collectively, there is no evidence that local “reparations” will come close to addressing the full scope of the measured harm or achieving an appropriate level of restitution.

II. A Look at Piecemeal “Reparations”

Efforts are underway in Maryland to establish a fund that would provide support for in-state college tuition and low interest loans for mortgages to persons who can provide proof that they are descendants of an ancestor enslaved in the state of Maryland. Indeed, the present version of the proposed legislation has a provision for “applicants [who] can provide concrete proof of how many years of forced labor their ancestor endured [to] be eligible to receive back pay for that person’s lost wages.” However, the current plan would permit persons who are living as white and have an ancestor enslaved in Maryland to qualify for access to the fund.[2]

This strategy potentially creates huge inequities in the outlays across descendants of the enslaved, so, here are several questions that demand answers. Would multiple descendants be eligible to receive lost wages from the same ancestor? Would a general application of the Maryland principle across all states exclude black descendants of United States slavery now living in states other than the ones where their enslaved ancestors were captives? What is the logic of giving the unpaid wages of a single enslaved ancestor to individuals who may have had multiple enslaved ancestors? Would larger payouts go to individuals whose ancestors survived to live the longest number of years of forced labor under the slavery system?

And this question is fundamental: Why should a living descendant’s compensation be tied to the exploitation of a single enslaved ancestor of theirs, instead of being determined by the long-term impact of the slavery regime on their life today?

Moreover, given the global objective of eliminating the black-white wealth disparity, there is no assurance that the unspecified amounts of “back pay for [an ancestor’s] lost wages” will close the gap. Total expenditures for state governments in fiscal year 2020, for all purposes, will be approximately $2 trillion, which is nowhere near the at least $10 trillion required to close the wealth gap. Notably, unlike the federal government, state governments are not the purveyors of a sovereign currency that would enable them to be unconstrained by an advance collection of tax revenues.

Not only is Maryland’s proposal piecemeal, but the plan also demonstrates the paternalistic tendency to limit the burden of restitution to the heirs of “our own slaves,” rather than recognizing the structural and all-encompassing nature of the system of American slavery and the need to confront its legacy at the national level.

The state of Maryland is one of several entities moving to admit their institutional or personal complicity with American slavery while, also, establishing “reparations” funds to compensate those persons identified as descendants of the direct victims of their individual states’, institutions’, or families’ immoral practices.

Another example is Georgetown University, where students are attempting to provide recompense to the descendants of the 272 enslaved persons who were sold to deep south planters by the Jesuits in order to ensure the survival of the school. The sale itself was an act embedded in the structural conditions of a racialized, slavery-based society and had adverse ramifications – much like all such exchanges – on more black people than the 272, themselves. Each transaction that involved the sale of human beings reinforced the slave order.

Today, there are an estimated 12 to 15,000 descendants of the 272 persons sold by the Jesuits in 1838; there are an estimated 20,000 descendants of all persons enslaved by the Jesuits in Maryland. Georgetown’s leadership now says it will allocate $400,000 per annum as a compensatory measure for the descendants. Even using the lowest estimate of the descendant population, $400,000 only amounts to $33 per person each year.

Today, Georgetown University’s endowment is approximately $1.62 billion, generating “earnings” of about $83 million; $400,000 is less than 0.1 percent of that number. In 1838, the 272 enslaved persons were sold for $115,000. The value of that sum compounded to the present at 5 percent interest amounts to $787 million; $400,000 is less than .01 percent of that number. To achieve the $10 trillion minimum necessary to eradicate the black-white wealth disparity – whether contributions come from individuals, families, or institutions – would require the massive task of assembling 25 million donors with each giving $400,000, the same amount as Georgetown’s annual pledge.

III. Making the Case for Systemic Reparations

While piecemeal initiatives of the type pursued by the state of Maryland or Georgetown University are admirable in their acknowledgement of the existence of a debt – and though they may salve guilty consciences – these incremental initiatives will not lead to fundamental change in the conditions of structural racial economic inequality. This essential transformative change demands action from the core institution that established and maintained the system of racial injustice, the federal government. The nation must be held accountable, and the federal government must meet the debt. As stated above, state governments, specifically, have neither the obligation nor the capacity to execute an appropriate comprehensive plan for black reparations.

Additionally, the focus on piecemeal “reparations” is customarily limited to the horrors of slavery, and far less attention is devoted to the damages of the Jim Crow regime or the consequences associated with ongoing harms. An exception that proves the rule is the peculiar fixation on using taxes from the sale of legalized marijuana to compensate over-incarcerated black people on minor drug charges. Federal laws concerning drug possession created the window for this form of over-incarceration. This strategy entirely bypasses the compensation merited by over-incarcerated black people for other reasons or not incarcerated at all but subjected to police abuse, and, again, it will do little to eradicate the black-white wealth gap.

So, what should states, municipalities, churches, universities, families, and individuals do who admit their historical complicity with slavery? We contend that they should coalesce to form a consortium that aggressively petitions Congress to enact a comprehensive national program of reparations for all black American descendants of persons enslaved in the United States. This collective effort will be of much greater value to black American descendants of persons enslaved in the US than a string of individual steps to undertake reparations piece by piece.

[1] We prefer to refer to “conciliation” rather than “reconciliation” because in all cases of grievous injustice there has not been a prior historical moment of relative harmony and goodwill between the perpetrator and the victim.

[2] Indeed, to avoid this weakness, in FROM HERE TO EQUALITY, we recommend TWO criteria for eligibility for payment from a national plan for black reparations. First, an individual must demonstrate that they have at least one ancestor who was enslaved in the US; and, second, an individual must demonstrate that they self-identified as Black, African American, or Negro at least 12 years before the enactment of a black reparations policy or enactment of a study commission for black reparations, whichever comes first.

END OF POST

Be sure to read the report: “Resurrecting the Promise of 40 Acres: The Imperative of Reparations for Black Americans” via this link.

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair Use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

I was assisted in writing this post by a bottle of Piccini Sasso al Poggio Toscana 2018 Red Blend (Central Italy). A high-scoring drinkable for under $20.00. A deft blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese. Bold. Strong structure. Balanced dryness. Moderate tannins and acidity. Leading with oak, vanilla, and dark chocolate notes. A sustain of black cherries, ripe plums, and smoke. Ending in leather, elderberries, and dry vanilla. Long – plush – luscious finish.

“Salvation for a race, nation or class must come from within. Freedom is never granted; it is won. Justice is never given; it is exacted.”

A. Philip Randolph

Family – we have to get to the point real quick that we can afford each other.

The Reparations train is rolling powerfully and quickly in the wrong direction. We are at the switch, but we are too busy bickering over indigenousness, indian-ness, and other nonsense to notice that switch needs to be pulled. Right now, the Pan Africans, the Government, the expatriated African Diaspora, the white liberals, the domestic and international white media, and Black conservatives have checked out our internal disunity. Our lack of political astuteness. Our Freedman to Freedman pettiness. Our lack of understanding the need for non-Freedman allies in certain places. If we don’t wake up we will lose this fight.

I

Understand Family. The game that The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis is playing on us is not “Divide and Conquer” – nope not that. The effective game is “Divide and Dissipate” – a different game altogether. During the time that the old-timers in the movement were still operating under the ADOS hashtag, and in the early months of the “Freedman Divestiture” from ADOS – there was too much focus, energy, and activism directed towards the federal Government and the inadequacy of HR40.

Something needed to be done to break that focus up. So if you are playing political chess, especially against a group that is not especially studied-up on political strategy – you come up with something shiny and positive-looking like “Local Reparations.” Run around the country with this. Encourage white legislators and communities with a way out to assuage their guilt. Present Black legislators with a life preserver to assist them in covering up their underperformance in serving their constituents. Provide governors and mayors with a great public relations tool to keep their present positions and/or move on to higher office. At our expense.

Every state, county, and municipal Reparations commission or task force (except California) that formulates across this country is a polite form of political arson. The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis has been duly assigned by the Democratic Party to do the long-term project management of slowly destroying Reparations. The Axis is being substantially funded by certain wealthy white individuals and white-liberal run foundations to disrupt the developing demand for Reparations. To confuse the issue. To finesse the definition. Having us running here. Then running there.

Then running off a cliff. Just Evil.

But we cannot allow open evil to evoke open emotionality from us. Family! This is a game. Family! And we have to PLAY to win. Family! We are in the FINALS of a series that started in 1619. Family! As we head into these FINALS – I want all of us to be clear on what we are up against. Because we have to shut down the fires in order to get to reparational clarity. Understand. There are three base reasons why a “local or institutional reparations” program is created. And they are these:

These Number One: Any “local reparations” program that is created by The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis is directly for the purposes of advocacy dissipation and the disruption of focus towards a properly rendered federal reparations bill. This was mandated by the Democratic Party and financed by outside but associated institutions and individuals that are set against Reparations being accomplished.

Wake up your discerning mind and really look at how HR40 is worded. If that dirty rag ever became law, it would be begging for the Supreme Court to kill it. And that is precisely what The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis wants to happen Family. To destroy Reparations. Full Stop. I cannot say this any louder. The real money is made on the continuance of the issue. Not on the accomplishment of Reparations. And with those Reparations – if accomplished – potentially being received, managed, and distributed from within the safe federal confines of a “Freedmen’s Bureau?”

OH NO! Can’t have that.

These Number Two: Cities and certain slavery-built institutions that understand their historic and very expensive culpability in the slavery enterprise and/or their participation in post-slavery deprivative practices see the Reparations train coming. And they know they are on or will be put on the to-do-list. What these lawyered-up motherfuckers are doing is getting ahead of the full potential liability through some fractional “acknowledgements” – “handshakes” – “scholarships” – “set-asides” – “plaques” – “and other bullshit.” (!!!) Thereby containing the possibility of any potentially large payouts. Because if these settlements were done properly, with the correct force behind the demand, and IN ORDER, many of those entities would be paying out billions rather than a few million bucks and a “friendship breakfast.”

More Coffee?

They want to be able to show the government on paper: “Hey look, we’ve already settled with those Niggers.” And because of us in our blinding hunger and political silly-mindedness, the enemy will be able to show on signed papers that we are accepting this nonsense. Lawyers from those entities will happily show and explain the signed paperwork when the forensic accountants from the Freedmen’s Bureau come knocking. (!) And here we are – Accepting “getting off cheap” type Millions instead of Demanding “pay me what you owe me motherfucker” type Billions.

Family! Any offers made. Any apologies proffered before Federal Reparations is accomplished; and before a Freedmen’s Bureau is established, are nothing but pennies on the dollar attempts to circumvent the trillions off the table that really need to be put on the table. Those trillions would count as “satisfaction.” What is being offered – proposed – or “task-forced” (except California) is not satisfaction.

A Pure Reparations is not something that can ever be done provisionally. A Pure Reparations can only be done going directly to actuality. And “to actuality” means Reparations expended “in its entirety” when done. Ahh… When Done?

“When Done” means at the Federal level. 400 years of Slavery was not done on a piecemeal basis. Enslavement in most cases shackled an entire human being for a whole life. When a whole slave was whipped, he or she absorbed the infliction of the entire whip. Entirely. After all that: A scholarship, A breakfast, and cab fare?

Really Family?

These Number Three: Sincere legislators, institutions, and organizations that feel that they “should do something,” but don’t realize that their good intentions are motivating them to do the devil’s work. Because no matter how good the intent – the same destructive result is the same. You see a hungry kid on the block. You fix him a lunch consisting of a glass of milk and a peanut butter sandwich. At the same time not knowing that the child has an intense allergy (that is potentially lethal) to peanuts. That child is too young to understand or articulate his allergy. He is just “getting what he can get” because he’s hungry. See? We are so blinded by our own hunger for capital, resources, and policies, that we are putting ourselves in this bad expedient mode of “getting what we can get.” And not even getting that Family.

The end result is Death.

Family! It is Supremely important for everybody in this Reparations building to understand the hardball game being played here. It is possible to persuade somebody to shoot themselves in the foot and make them believe it is the right thing to do. That’s what is happening with the good folks that are setting up those “local reparations” structures. They don’t understand what the game is. And their energies are being horribly self-misdirected. We must not only be unified on the overall goal – but we must also be unified on how this issue should ultimately resolve. Thus – unifying on the proper and precise path to get to that resolution.

Otherwise – We Will Fail.

II

Family! The messiness. The bickering. The unstudied new ideas. The overriding intrigues – both real and manufactured. The et cetera. We are undermining our own movement. If there are several things positive that I can say about our enemy – The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis: They are focused. They are organized. They have a hierarchy. They hold to their mission. They (mostly) don’t allow inner dissentions to be aired publicly. They don’t argue with outsiders. And they solidly concentrate on marketing their retrograde Pan African propaganda. They are simultaneously tightening up and expanding their organizational structures and systems.

Pay Attention Family:

They are setting up political sub-structures and mission agreements with other organizations so that we cannot in certainty track what they are doing. They are picking up more non-Black allies. While we in strategic ignorance, flame the non-Black allies that want to help us. That’s why (in a sense) they’re winning. Even though their aims are nefarious and ultimately destructive to Pure Reparations.

There is a lot of stuff that the serious lineage-based Reparationists will have to ignore. There are several simple things that we must focus on and execute. We need actual unity, organization, and focus even more than money Family. It is time…

III

Below is an excerpt from a book called “The Gosho” (Japanese: “honorable writings”). The book is a compilation of letters, commentaries, and treatises written by Nichiren (b. February 16, 1222 – d. October 13, 1282). He was a Japanese Buddhist priest and philosopher of the Kamakura Period in 13th Century Japan. Nichiren was a prolific writer and his biography, temperament, and the evolution of his beliefs has been gleaned primarily from his own wisdom-filled writings.

What is excerpted is from the letter titled “On Itai Doshin” (Japanese: “many in body, one in mind”). This to me is one of the best writings on the necessity of unity to accomplish our goals. Please read, absorb, and think about what this philosopher had to say. The message is timeless and appropriate to our movement:

“If Itai Doshin (many in body, one in mind) prevails among the people, they will achieve all their goals, whereas in Dotai Ishin (one in body, different in mind), they can achieve nothing remarkable. The more than three thousand volumes of Confucianism and Taoist literature are filled with examples. King Chou of Yin led 700,000 soldiers into battle against King Wu of Chou and his 800 men.

Yet King Chou’s army lost because of disunity while King Wu’s men defeated him because of perfect unity. Even an individual at cross purposes with himself is certain to end in failure. Yet a hundred or even a thousand people can definitely attain their goal if they are of one mind. Though numerous, the Japanese will find it difficult to accomplish anything, because they are divided in spirit. On the contrary, I believe that although Nichiren and his followers are few in number, because they act in Itai Doshin, they will accomplish their great mission… Many raging fires are quenched by a single shower of rain, and many evil forces are vanquished by a single great truth…”

Nichiren succinctly spells out and examples a beautiful formula for victory. It takes strong organization, focus, and perfect unity to get what we need to take Family.

Family! Our individual power is very small. However, when people who have different talents or characters move together with one mind toward achieving a single goal, they are able to produce tremendous power, and any goal can be accomplished. We cannot fail this project Family. That’s non-negotiable.

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair Use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

I was assisted in writing this post by a bottle of Juggernaut Pinot Noir 2020 – Russian River Valley California. Another under $20.00 sweetheart! Only $18.00. Serious. Off Dry. Beautiful Pinot Noir Structure. Savory. Moderate tannins and acidity. Woody nose. Bold opening with oak, sweet black cherries, and leather. Quiet sustain of cigar, red pepper, and ripe plums. Ending in dry black cherries, cocoa, and elderberries. Smooth, slightly sweet – diminishing finish.

“There comes a time in your life when you can no longer put off choosing. You have to choose one path or the other. You can live safe and be protected by people just like you, or you can stand up a be a leader for what is right. Always, remember this: People never remember the crowd; they remember the one person that had the courage to say and do what no one [else] would do.”

Shannon L. Alder

Oh My Goodness: On the afternoon of January 8, 2023, there was a Candidates Forum held in Hyde Park, Chicago. This gathering was convened and hosted by the Chicago chapter of the League Of Women Voters. Important. (!) A field of twelve candidates were in attendance to make their pitch to voters of The Fifth Ward. We were literally standing room only. The voter interest was that high.

I was there, so was Marlon Watson and Cynthia McDonald – along with journalists, politicians, and activists invited by us and others.

The proceedings were live but polite. At the same time, there was a certain amount of controlled consternation that brewed among the panelists whenever Gabriel started speaking on reparative justice for African Americans. It was fucking weird. Everybody noticed it. All the other candidates were obviously Black. But no one else spoke on the subject because they empty-handedly didn’t have anything.

OK – they didn’t have anything. But they Black?!?!?!

The next Candidates Forum was held on January 15, 2023 at the Hyde Park Union Church. Oh how the pushback and the knives came out (link to article below). But our candidate deftly pushed back. He riled them. He was even accused of “out-Blacking everybody Black.” Really? I mean – these folks went on the attack Man. But Gabriel held it down and remained steady and on-lock with his message.

The “Letter To The Editor” reproduced below was written by Gabriel Piemonte. It was published in “The Hyde Park Herald” on January 17, 2023. This letter gives a candidate’s-eye-view of what happened on the 15th. But the letter also reveals the true heart of a fundamentally allied Reparations candidate. Read and think.

Here It Is:

Reparations Shouldn’t Rile Candidates

January 17, 2023

To the Editor:

The calm of the crowded field for Fifth Ward alderperson was broken this last Sunday afternoon, which was no surprise to me – it was simply a matter of time before we started jabbing elbows in a race with a dozen candidates. What did surprise me was that my discussion of Reparations was the cause of it.

Kris Levy called it “misleading” and “insulting.” Tina Hone said I was “out-Blacking everybody Black.”

Why such strong words? I have not and will not judge another candidate for their worldview, even when it has been in dramatic variance to my own. Clearly, I touched a nerve.

I have explained my position in the two forums that have taken place at the time of this letter’s publication, in interviews, in online videos and on social media: The federal claim of descendants of enslaved Black American citizens is to me the model upon which our local reparative policy should be based. In Chicago, this clearly translates to housing, to begin with. We need to prioritize the rights and protections of Black Americans who have been discriminated against by this city and private interests in the area of housing. The data is available and the harm is quantifiable. In the near term, that should justify an eviction moratorium at the very least in areas that have predominantly Black American residents.

Similarly, we need to take immediate action to address the foreclosure crisis impacting communities like South Shore, Woodlawn, and The Pocket. There is a race-based harm taking place today in this city, and redress must be a top priority.

As someone who has been active in the national Reparations movement for years, I do not feel I have to apologize for recognizing that Chicago housing policies follow a pattern of targeted discrimination and that a debt is owed to those who have been harmed. The Reparations movement matters because it is the appropriate frame to determine redress for prejudicial policy. The framework goes beyond just recompense and also includes acknowledgement of harm done and real measures taken to assure the practices that have caused the harm will cease.

What’s wrong with that?

Robert Palmer, another candidate for Fifth Ward alderperson, told me last week that he was in favor of Reparations but hadn’t thought to bring it up. Many candidates said no one mentioned it to them so they didn’t think it was important in our communities. I suggest to you that candidates who don’t set priorities based on their own moral compass may fall short of what we need in the Fifth Ward in this turbulent time.

Every candidate has a right to their own worldview, of course. For me, Reparations is the Civil Rights issue of the 21st Century in this country. If we do not face our past, we cannot build our future. And our past is inextricably tied to the unfinished business of chattel slavery’s legacy. As the man once said, it is not even past.

The late, great Leon Despres – the gold standard for independent, progressive alderpersons – worked assiduously with the South Side’s beloved historian Timuel Black to organize thousands of people in the Ward to attend the March On Washington in the 1960’s. He also attended and described the historic event in letters to the Herald. I wonder if that would have offended Kris Levy if he was around back then or if Tina Hone would have said Leon was trying to – well, you get the picture.

National Civil Rights organizing has always been part of the best traditions of Fifth Ward politics. We understand that all politics is local and that global action must begin with work on one’s own block. The question we should ask ourselves is whether we want an alderperson who is offended when the world is brought into Fifth Ward politics, or if instead we should be demanding that very quality from the people who would seek to represent us.

Gabriel Piemonte

Candidate

Fifth Ward Alderperson

END OF LETTER

Read – Comment – Share. We want to know what you think. Especially when we have Black candidates like Tina Hone protesting against doing right. Unbelievable.

5th Ward Candidates Debate Article Link

https://www.hpherald.com/evening_digest/5th-ward-candidates-debate-housing-social-justice-at-sunday-forum/article_e0d0be7a-96c6-11ed-8ef5-bf926ed1633e.html

Gabriel Piemonte’s Campaign Website

https://gabrielpiemonteforfifthwardalderman.com/

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair Use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

I was assisted in putting up this audio post by a bottle of Paraduxx Proprietary Red 2019 Red Blend NV. Serious. Bold. Dry. Bordeaux type blend. 67% Zinfandel and 33% Cabernet Sauvignon. Moderate tannins and acidity. Opening with oak, vanilla, and chocolate. A sustain of wet blackberries, plums, and blueberries. Closing with cherries, raspberries, background vanillas. Moderate – Dry finish.

“Without Reparations our people can never be on equal terms with the white sons of our former slavemasters who continue to reap the abundant benefits of the wealth created by our foreparents through their centuries of unrequited labor. The unpaid labor of African slaves [chattelized in America] laid the foundation for the accumulation of the wealth that ultimately made the U.S.A. the richest country in the world. During the period of slavery millions of our people died while being transported under conditions of indescribable horror while crossing the ‘middle passage.’ Our roots and culture were ruthlessly destroyed.

We were deprived of human status, with families broken and fragmented and family ties eliminated, our women were raped and abused, our men were placed in chains. Bred like animals our children were taken from us and given over to owners and slavemasters to be sold on the auction block. Today our [Black] youth are taught false history, theories and principles to prevent race pride…”

Queen Mother Audley Moore

I found this interview while looking for something else. This is an extremely interesting interview with the Queen of Freedmen Reparations – Audley Moore. This was done at Fordham University. But the interviewer does not identify himself within the portions that we have here. Year unknown. The recording quality is quite poor. So listen closely. The Queen drops a lot of jewels in this exchange. This recording is living Freedman history captured on tape. Listen:

Part One

Part Two

Well – there it is. Straight from the Queen’s Mouth.

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair Use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

I was assisted in this posting by a bottle of Louis M. Martini – Monte Rosso Vineyard Mountain Red Blend 2013 (Sonoma Valley). A powerful blend of Petit Verdot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. Bold. Quietly dark. Dry. Emotional. Elegant structure. Moderate tannins and acidity. Opening with loud cherries, oak, and cloves. A sustain of blackberries, tobacco, and vanilla. Ending in strawberry, dry plums, and honeydew cream. Long – crisp finish.

“There is another class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs – partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.”

Booker T. Washington

This is an important video produced by Meleika Gardner. A concerned person that lives in the belly of the “Evanston Local Reparations” beast. Please watch this in its entirety. Family – there is a part in here where Robin Rue Simmons is requesting FEDERAL DOLLARS and I have already warned everybody over and over again about the long-game finesse of using Federal funds in any “local reparations” program. Eventually nullifying it. She is asking good questions that need to be answered. A person we need to know that needs further study on and focus is billionaire Chuck Lewis – who is the main sponsor behind FirstRepair.

A quote from him:

“That’s why we’re so interested in local reparations, not slavery reparations, because it’s proximate, it’s close by in terms of geography and time.”

WOW. Chuck Lewis has decided what is good enough for “You Niggers.” OK. There are many white people in Evanston that know this is bullshit. But they are afraid to speak out because they don’t want to be flamed (yep) by certain politically inastute individuals in our movement. I’ve directly experienced their unresearched, unwarranted, and inarticulate vitriol in a recent Twitter space. Exasperating.

Any white person that openly supports lineage-based reparations (like on our side) becomes an immediate target to be hated on, to be over-scrutinized, and to become the victim of unjustified verbal violence. But the thousands of strategically-minded white liberals like Chuck Lewis and other white individuals and organizations that propagandistically and financially support the destruction of our Pure Reparations done through The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis, get no smoke whatsoever. Amazing.

Meleika Gardner is the truth. And the truth needs to be told. She tells it here.

Please watch the video and read her YouTube statement reproduced here:

Meleika Gardner’s YouTube Statement:

January 14, 2023 – EVANSTON ILLINOIS

Do not blindly support HR40 and Evanston Reparations without hearing the other side that the [mainstream] media won’t cover. [Thereby] setting the record straight as to why many around the country DO NOT support neither HR40 as is – nor Evanston Reparations. And also why some support both with much allegiance. How is sixteen people receiving home improvements considered a “successful” Reparations program? [By] citing sources and using visuals and audio clips, I am breaking down the questions surrounding both HR40 and Evanston Reparations.

[I am speaking] from whether or not the first Evanston Reparations’ sixteen recipients were pre-selected prior to the official Bingo lottery drawing – to the recipients’ $25,000 cash being sent to a white-led organization – but NEVER to the recipients; to trying to figure out where the money is; to how Reparations turned into a housing program over direct cash payments; to how Evanston Reparations is watering down Reparations across the country; to whether or not Black people born in America whom are descendants of Slaves brought against their will in shackles and chains will qualify for the Federal Reparations program based on the principles of FirstRepair, NAARC, and N’COBRA’s multi-tier qualification plan (?) if they are appointed to the HR40 commission; and to why they [NAARC and N’COBRA] plan to send a percentage of the Federal Reparations funds to Africa.

I Repeat This – So You Can Hear This: NAARC and N’COBRA plan to send a percentage of our Federal Reparations funds to Africa!!! A multi-tier qualification plan? Who would be on these tiers? Just American Freedmen? For What?

Chuck Lewis, [billionaire] sponsor behind FirstRepair, says: “We’re so interested in local reparations, not slavery reparations, because it’s proximate, it’s close by in terms of geography and time.” Dr. Martin Luther King said: “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

This video may never really reach the light of day to inform the masses, but I just wanted it documented somewhere that NOT ALL Black people in Evanston and around the country have the same mentality that strongly supports Evanston Reparations and [the Federal bill] HR40 as is. While I strongly disagree with Robin Rue Simmons for watering down Reparations across the country – I do believe that she is a phenomenal Black woman in that she has the world sitting down at the table to have real conversations about Reparations. And she made me believe that its wonderful accomplishment could be possible one day.

But – as of right now, the way Evanston Reparations rolled out and then listening to Kamm Howard discuss HR40 for the Federal program – I [now] believe Reparations is just a unicorn in the sky that will only serve a selected few. I do not agree that a housing program should be Black people’s Reparations. I stand strong and solid on this! Direct cash payments, wiping out debt so Black Americans [can] have a clean slate, and/or free healthcare are just some [of the discussed] ideas.

Regardless – a social program should not be forced upon Black people to accept as their Reparations the way Evanston [has] dictated. Watch this video [posted above] to hear the truth of what happened in Evanston.

END OF STATEMENT

To listen for yourself to Kamm Howard of Reparations United, NAARC, and FirstRepair discuss HR40 and the qualifications for the Federal program, please listen to this mp3 link recorded from Lafeare Ward’s Twitter space:

A Meeting Of The Minds – Freedmen discuss reparations with Kamm Howard.mp3

Twitter Recording Credit: @Feardis11 and @BlaccseedAmericanFreedmen

Sources for this Evanston Live TV YouTube video: City of Evanston Government YouTube Channel – Evanston Reparations Committee – The Washington Post – CPAH (Community Partners for Affordable Housing) – FirstRepair Of Evanston – ABC 7 News Chicago.

OOPS!!! I found one more on Evanston Reparations:

This is Legacy Evanston native Craig Wimberly. Sounding Off! He is the Illinois Circuit Court Deputy Chief Information Officer, and long-time member of the C.O.A.L Organization (coalchicago.com). Questioning: “If a recipient does not use all of the $25,000 on home improvements – who pockets the remaining funds?”

Family – it is time to wake up and shut this hustle down.

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair Use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.