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The contemporary reparations movement began in 2000 when Aetna Inc., of Hartford, issued an apology after a student at the New England School of Law uncovered the company's history of insuring the lives of slaves.

Many companies have insurance policies on their employees (that pay the company in case of death), so why does it matter if slaves were insured?

(And I am not arguing for slavery, only pointing out that the fact that a slave was insured did nothing to harm them.)

"Many companies have insurance policies on their employees (that pay the company in case of death), so why does it matter if slaves were insured?"

There are several critical points that surround this. First, as said, many companies and businesses insure key employees.
Second, businesses DO NOT treat important, insured capital equipment... badly. In fact, most insurance companies place restictions on how insured items must be treated to MAXIMIZE the CARE and LONGEVITY of the insured item(s) / personel. On a personal level think.. do you abuse your vehicle.. or do you try to maximize the longevity of the vehicle?
Third, the slaves were an important part of the business and lives of the owners. Why would someone spend considerable amount (for the period) so you can torture and abuse the person ... thereby shortening the effective age and use of that person? Remember... if you look at the bills of sale from those days these slaves were bringing $200 to $1000 and more! This at a time where the yearly earnings of the average free person was probably in the range of $200 to $300 per year.

Do I think slavery was bad? Yes.
Do I think some were treated badly? Probably.
But none of the claims makes sense when you consider the money aspect. Businesses DO NOT ABUSE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT because that shortens the life and usability of the equipment. The same would be true with the slaves. The longer they were healthy and working the longer they generated revenue... simple $ and sense.

The insurance show that the business cared about the slaves productivity and I am sure those insurance policies probably spelled out and even compelled the care (to some extent) of those items of capital equipment. Aetna would not insure a demolition derby car and does specify that deliberatw damage and failure due to improper maintanance is also excluded from coverage. I am sure it was the same at that time.

Slavery was wrong, but this reparations thing is also wrong on a number of fronts.