Reparations is completely unworkable.
Before the civil war half of blacks were not slaves.
Many slave owners were black.
There were many White slaves.
There were many black slaves held by Native American tribes.
Africans colonized and pillaged Europe and enslaved Europeans earlier and for far longer than Europeans did it to africans.
At the tim of our founding there were more White Europeans and Americans enslaved in Africa than blacks enslaved here.
That's only a few of the issues.
Completely agree ! In 10 years the money will be spent and it will be demanded again!
“... Before the civil war half of blacks were not slaves. ...”
Not really by 1860 more like 1 out of 8 were free.
“...Many slave owners were black. ...”
There were a number of black slave owners. Particularly when the lines between slavery & indentured servitude were still legally blurred. “Many” seems to be a bit of an exxageration. The free black slave owers were an interesting group. What extraordinarily talented people to be able to not only make do but prosper in a relatively hostile environment. There are also instances of slaves owning slaves. Books on the subject. Considering the intellectually dishonest age we live these books must be read with a critical eye !
“...There were many White slaves. ....”
Yes there were but not in the US by 1860. Though indentured servitude didn't leave the books until the early 1900s. I think Delaware was the last to remove it in 1980. Land-O-Biden so progressive !
“...There were many black slaves held by Native American tribes. ....”
Yes there were. The “5 Civilized Tribes” tried to mimic plantation culture and got to go to Oklahoma as a reward for their efforts.
“....Africans colonized and pillaged Europe and enslaved Europeans earlier and for far longer than Europeans did it to Africans. .....”
Definitely true ! So bad its a hidden holocaust done on European people who lived close to and made their living on the Mediterranean. Of course these enslavers were entirely Muslim mostly North African not sub-Saharan Africans. Here's a good book on the subject.
“... At the time of our founding there were more White Europeans and Americans enslaved in Africa than blacks enslaved here. ....”
Completely agree !
The court case that established the legal foundation of slavery was a Virginia case of a free black - Anthony Johnson permanently retaining the services of a black indentured servant - John Casor.
From Wikipedia so read critically !
When it comes to human slavery no history , no race, no civilization can claim to be clean of it. Western civilization is the only one that actually made an effort to rid itself of the barbarity.
It's still present in Africa & Muslim countries. I've seen it in my professional travels.