2A
NEWS/ The Charlotte Post
Thursday, October 23, 1997
Making a
case for
reparations
An apology alone
just won’t do
MELODYE MICERE STEWART
In the
spirit of
Ma’at
Race relations conference topic
Starts Monday in Charlotte
Earlier this year in South
Carolina, four major religious
denominations - Lutheran,
Anglican, Roman Catholic and
United Methodist - issued a
statement confessingto the sin
of racism and asking forgive
ness. In 1995, the Southern
Baptist Convention acknowl
edged the shame of racism and
apologized. According to white
sociologist Howard Winant, “on
a moral level, this country
absolutely as a nation owes
African Americans an apology
for one of the most serious vio
lations of human rights that
has existed in recorded history,
in fact, in all history, recorded
and unrecorded.”
This important admission is
significant to the discussion on
reparations; it appears that
part of the public retreat on a
national apology is designed to
bury any discussion of overdue
compensation for the sons and
daughters of slaves. Yet, we
must discuss both the apology
and reparations.
For the historical record, the
issue of reparations for African
Americans dates back to 1865
when congressional discussions
were led by Thaddeus Stevens,
a congressman from
Pennsylvania who advocated
that “large plantations be bro
ken up and distributed to the
freedmen in forty-acre lots.”
According to historian Lerone
Bennett, Stevens’ belief was
based on the idea that “freedom
was not free without an eco
nomic foundation.”
While issues of economics
still remain a thorn in black
America’s side, the discussion
of just compensation for the
unpaid labor of our ancestors is
receiving scant conversation.
However scant, a dialogue of
sorts is indeed taking place. In
February of tbis year, the topic
was featured in Emerge maga
zine; November’s issue of
Essence tackles the subject
with the help of Mary Frances
Berry, chairperson of the U.S.
Commission on Civil Rights
and attorney Stanley Mark,
program director for the Asian
American Legal Defense and
Education Fund.
In those articles, the need for
educating the public, having
the dialogue and building
momentum for a positive
change in the political climate
are crucial strategies. For
those calling for a committee to
study the subject, every two
years since 1989, U.S. Rep.
John Conyers has introduced a
congressional bill to study tbe
issue, while two noted white
scholars have already pub
lished their findings. (Lester
Thurow of Massachusetts
Institute of Technology wrote
“Poverty and Discrimination”
in 1967-68 and Boris Bittker,
professor emeritus of Yale
School of Law, wrote “The Case
for Black Reparations” in
1972).
In 1991, Charles
Krauthammer, an ultra-conser
vative journalist, wrote an
essay in Time magazine titled
“Reparations for Black
Americans.” In it,
Krauthammer states “It is time
for a historic compromise: a
monetary reparation to blacks
for centuries of oppression in
return for the total abolition of
all programs of racial prefer
ence.” His justification centers
upon reclaiming “the notion of
color blindness before it’s too
late.” Though it is questionable
whether America is capable of
operating in a color-blind man
ner, Krauthammer is correct
when he asserts that repara
tions “... would honor our oblig
ation to right ancient wrongs.”
Continued from page 1A
killer in South Carolina to
Charles Stuart’s fabricated black
murderer of his pregnant wife in
Boston - bring to light what’s
become increasingly evident:
Blacks and whites, and other
races in this coimtry, are becom
ing increasingly polarized in their
beUefs about American society
and in their dealings with each
other.
In the wake of such polariza
tion, efforts are xmder way to
bring about a reconciliation some
hope will stave off a further
destruction of the national unity
necessary for continued economic
prosperity and peaceful relations
in our communities and on our
jobs.
Such efforts include President
Clinton’s appointment of a race
commission chaired by Afncan
American historian John Hope
Franklin of Durham. And
Monday and Biesday, Gov. Jim
Hunt is hosting a Conference on
Racial Reconciliation at the
Adam’s Mark Hotel in Charlotte
with Franklin providing the
keynote address at a Tliesday lun
cheon.
The Community Building Task
Force is planning a conference on
race Dec. 7 and 8 in Charlotte.
The Hunt conference, suggested
by a task force which investigated
the burning of black churches in
the state, will bring together sev
eral hundred law enforcement
officers, business leaders and city
and county officials from across
the state.
“We are making some progress,
but we’ve got a long way to go,”
Hunt said. “We have to redouble
our efforts when it comes to fight
ing intolerance, injustice and
hatred in our state, and we need
to continue working together to
get the joh done."
The conference, first in a series
of discussions, is designed to help
communities develop action plans
for better relations among races.
Hunt vidll host another confer
ence in the spring that will
include religious and community ’
leaders.
The conference will include a Z.
Smith Reynolds Foundation
study on race relations and
roundtable discussions with titles
such as “Race Relations in the
State and Nation,” “Can We
Talk,” and “Intolerance and the
Law.”
A report will be delivered by the
N.C Human Relations
Commission and there will be dis
cussions on the role of the clergy
and local officials in religious and
racial reconciliation.
Rev. Harold Diggs of Mayfield
Memorial Baptist Church, will
participate, as wUl Rep. Mel Watt,
who will speak at Monday’s lun
cheon on the topic “The Cost of
Watt
Intolerance.” Watt represents a
district carved out to insure
blacks have a fair chance at get
ting elected to congress. He and
Rep. Eva
Clayton were
the first blacks
elected to
Congress from
North Carolina
since the turn
of the century.
U.S. Attorney
General Janet
Reno has been
invited to
address
Monday’s dinner meeting, but it is
not clear if she wfll be able to
attend.
Charlotte’s
Community
Building Task
Force is
already con
ducting focus
groups with as
many as 15
people at a time
talking about
race issues.
Organizers
hope as many as 450 people will
attend the two days of discussions
in December about race issues in
Charlotte.
Family therapist Don Taylor,
assistant director of the task
force, has handled the focus
groups leading up to the forum.
“Folks had the chance to let
loose,” Taylor said. “The conversa
tion has been phenomenal. Blacks
have shown an underlying anger,
while white participants have a
more quizzical Svhat’s the prob
lem,’ “what’s going on,’ view. They
say ‘I don’t know why things are
out of whack.”’
Taylor pointed out that the sim
plest subject can draw angry reac
tions, including a recent public
spat about whether blacks should
Clayton
be encouraged to attend and par
ticipate in NASCAR auto racing.
“Last night, several people
hormced off that,” Taylor said of
an all-black focus group at Silver
Mormt Baptist Church Monday.
“Something as simple as driving a
car brought out vitriolic com
ments.”
The group Monday ranged in
age from the mid-20s to the 50s
and were middle- to lower-middle
income. There were five men and
six women in the group.
“There was an overriding anger
about the feeling of being deval
ued and discounted,” Taylor said.
“That came out over and over
again from the group last night.”
A report on the focus groups will
be compiled and released at the
December conference.
Task force director Diane
English admits there’s some skep
ticism about the upcoming confer
ence and any effort to solve the
community’s race problem.
“What’s the point?” she asked.
“If we don’t do it and we have
another serious incident, people
vrill say “what are we doing to deal
with the business of race.’
“If it were easy, somebody would
have solved them (race problems)
before.
“One of the problems is...part of
it is we are in denial about the
existence and the impact of
racism,” English said. “And the
other part is that we need, within
the major segments of this com
munity, to make an ongoing, long
term commitment to deahng with
race relations."
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