Congresswoman Hopes Reparations Bill is Path to ‘Repair Some of the Damage’ Caused by Slavery

PJ Media ^ | 12/30/2018

[Altura Ct.]

WASHINGTON – Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) told PJM that the federal government should conduct a study of reparations for descendants of slaves to be able to determine the best way to “repair some of the damage" that slavery has caused to the African-American community.

Jackson Lee became the lead sponsor of H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act, after Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) resigned from Congress.

The legislation seeks to “address the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the United States and the 13 American colonies between 1619 and 1865 and to establish a commission to study and consider a national apology and proposal for reparations for the institution of slavery, its subsequent de jure and de facto racial and economic discrimination against African-Americans, and the impact of these forces on living African-Americans, to make recommendations to the Congress on appropriate remedies, and for other purposes.”

It’s a commission to study the issue of what was the economic impact of the work of slaves and how does it translate in the 21st century. And what we want to do is to build a narrative, a story of the facts and out of that be able to access how we repair some of the damage,” Jackson Lee said during a recent interview after her speech at the annual Legislative and Policy Conference organized by Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.

“When you look at urban blight, when you look at schools in inner cities and rural communities that are not at the level of excellence that they should be, when you look at support for [historically black colleges and universities], all of that will be part of understanding that whole journey and that whole economic journey,” she added. “And it is interesting that these magnificent buildings were built by slaves, obviously with no compensation. That is not what we are asking for; this bill is to have a commission to hear from people all over the nation.”

Jackson Lee called the reparations legislation “a beginning process and an educational process for the nation in a non-controversial manner, and not in a manner of pitting one group of people against another.”

Actor Danny Glover called for reparations for African descendants during his speech before the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) in 2016. Jackson Lee was asked if she agreed with Glover.

“Danny Glover has been a strong supporter of H.R. 40 and we would love to have him as a witness providing his point of view – that’s why this is such a great initiative and legislation,” she replied.

During an interview with PJM, Sharpton said that criminal justice reform and voting rights topped his agenda during meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. On Dec. 21 President Trump signed the First Step Act, which White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner worked on with a bipartisan group of lawmakers.

[cymbeline]

Damage to blacks today is most certainly not coming from memories of past slavery. I believe blacks have more opportunity and are happier than in past times. Can’t believe all the screaming attention hogs

[an amused spectator]

I’ll chip in for a roll of duct tape for the congressclown’s mouth.

[Gay State Conservative]

Having traveled in Africa I can guarantee that there are enough people there who would *gladly* trade places with American blacks.And,having done so,they’d work hard...obey the rules...stay out of prison and off of drugs...and would be clear assets to this country.

[_Jim]

Lee ... LEE?

Shouldn’t that name be BANNED?

[lightman]

One of the best rebuttals to the notion of reparations I have ever read:

"Paid in Full"

[BruceS]

I will personally apologize and pay reparations to each of the persons whom I held as slaves.

[real saxophonist]

My ancestors weren't wealthy enough to own slaves. They weren't necessarily poor, but slaves were expensive.

My granddad had a pecan orchard on the Flint River in Georgia. He had black employees, not slaves. Their benefits included pecans and all the squirrels they could take. The operation was all a big family.

So there.

[blackdog]

She loves that word de-facto. She uses it in every opportunity when she opens her pie hole.

[blackdog]

I’m going out and getting married to a black woman right away. Anchor spouse to government payouts over slavery. Nice.

[Go Gordon]

Okay, if you can find an individual who suffered as a slave, you can pay them from the taxes you can take from the person who kept said slave.

Shouldn't you seek the damages from the person that sold the slave? In today's society, we don't punish the casual drug user, we punish the drug suppliers.

[Agatsu77]

As long as they STFU and leave never to come back.

[Agatsu77]

My family were serfs and had to sneak out of their country to get here in the 1830s. They lived in Iowa. Most people do not know that over 70% of the men between 14 and 40 died in the civil war. Iowa had no slaves, my ancestors in Europe also had no slaves. Four of my great,great grandfathers brother died and he lost an arm.
What did they get, a chance for their descendants to become second class spit on citizens.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

Count me in if it’s a 1-way ticket to the African nation of choice.

[Yosemitest]

If you really want to be fair, you need to know more about slavery in the Colonies that became the United States.

Maybe we should start with the very FIRST SLAVE OWNER IN THE UNITED STATES.
It's NOT about RACE !
It's about IDEOLOGY !

WHO was Anthony Johnson of the 1600s ?

America’s first slave owner was a black man.

WHO was John Casor ( Caster ) 1655 ?

WHY doesn't the media tell you about WHITE SLAVES owned by Blacks in the the United States ?

Why isn't White Slavery, Maternal Descent, And The Politics Of Slavery In The Antebellum United States, written by Lawrence Tenzer and A.D. Powell, REQUIRED READING in High School ?

Watch these videos:

David Barton - Three-Fifths clause was anti-slavery, not pro


PART 1 Glenn Beck: History of Slavery (08-19-2010).flv


PART 2 Glenn Beck: History of Slavery (08-19-2010).flv


PART 3 Glenn Beck: History of Slavery (08-19-2010).flv


PART 4 Glenn Beck: History of Slavery (08-19-2010).flv


Glenn Beck -6/14/2011- Slavery and the GOP Debate


How much more do you need to prove to yourself that (?) :
DEMOCRATS ARE LIARS !
and DEMOCRATS ARE ENSLAVING YOU !

So ....

Maybe it's time for the descendants of Negro who were slave during the Civil War
to pay reparations to the descendants of those who fought for their freedom
during the civil war.

After all you just want to be fair ... don't you ?

[franksolich]

Uh, question.

Haven’t we been paying reparations since the mid-1960s, with Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty, the longest war in American history, that endless quagmire with no light at the end of the tunnel?

[King Moonracer]

Further enslave white taxpayers in the name of slavery reparations. How cheap, mean, miserly, parsimonious, close-fisted, penny-pinching, cheeseparing, grasping....

[4Liberty]

I’m Irish! Where’s my Barbary pirate check?

[maine-iac7]

Get the first ‘allotment’ fro the African Chieftains to brought them to the shores of Africa and sold them to the slavers - ..Then give them a ticket to the African bush and have some time there - and ask themselves:” Would I like to be living here or am I thankful my ancestors were brought to America?

[jeffersondem]

“Three ancestors. Three. Served in the Union Army.”

In the context of this thread I have to ask: were they fighting to “free the slaves?”