Black Demonstrators Demand Slavery Reparations

AP via Yahoo! News ^ | Sat Aug 17, 5:18 PM ET | Mark Wilkinson

[Chi-townChief]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A few thousand black demonstrators rallied on the Mall in Washington on Saturday to demand that the U.S. government pay blacks reparations for slavery and decades of discrimination.

"I want to go up to the closest white person and say, 'You can't understand this, it's a black thing,' and then slap him, just for my mental health," Charles Barron, a member of the New York City Council, told the crowd.

The demonstrators, numbering about 2,000 to 3,000, came from all parts of the United States, many traveling by bus from as far away as Texas. With the U.S. Capitol in the background, they chanted "Black power! Reparations!" and "Start the Revolution!"

"Apologize White America," said a sign carried by one demonstrator.

Barron, a self-proclaimed "elected revolutionary," said if the government did not act swiftly he personally would storm the Treasury Department ( news - web sites) and take the money for reparations.

Black activist Louis Farrakhan told the crowd, "America owes the black people a lot for what they've endured."

"We need land for political independence, we need millions of acres," Farrakhan added. "We need payment for 310 years of slavery, of destruction of our minds and the robbery of our culture."

The United States, torn apart by the Civil War, abolished slavery in 1865. Some people argue that even 137 years after abolition, blacks still suffer from the vestiges of slavery.

U.S. Rep. John Conyers, a Democrat from Michigan, urged blacks to press their elected representatives in Congress to deal with the issue of slavery reparations.

"We want reparations -- not next century, not 10 years from now, but now," Conyers said. "These wrongs can only be corrected in the House of Representatives, only Congress can do what we want now. All congressmen ought to be here today."

Conyers has backed legislation that would require the House of Representatives to study slavery's effects on blacks.

Demonstrators said blacks deserved "long overdue" reparations, noting compensation won by Jews in the aftermath of the Nazi Holocaust and Japanese-Americans for their internment by the United States in camps during World War II.

The turnout was smaller than the tens of thousands of demonstrators forecast by organizers of the "Millions for Reparations" movement. But those who traveled to Washington said they believed the rally would make a difference.

"You have to really make some noise just to be heard," Edna Russell, who traveled from Denver, told Reuters.

Kobina Abew, an American citizen from Ghana dressed in a colorful African gown, said, "It's going to be very effective. It's going to bring a solution to this problem, I believe."

[3catsanadog]

"We need land for political independence, we need millions of acres," Farrakhan added. "We need payment for 310 years of slavery, of destruction of our minds and the robbery of our culture."

See!! See!!! They do want more than money. If they get their money, they will be demanding land, then something else.

Lord almighty, this has me so mad I'm spitting nails.

OK, Farrakhan, you can have California and all the fruits and nuts that live there.

[mfulstone]

These people may bring on what Charles Manson couldn't - "helter skelter." Sad, but most likely true.

[T Lady]

GREAT BIG BUMP!!!!

[T Lady]

AND A BIG BUMP TO YOU TOO!!
;-)

[M. T. Cicero II]

'"I want to go up to the closest white person and say, 'You can't understand this, it's a black thing,' and then slap him, just for my mental health," Charles Barron, a member of the New York City Council, told the crowd.'

Be careful Mr. Barron. I carry for a reason - my mental health.

[M. T. Cicero II]

'"I want to go up to the closest white person and say, 'You can't understand this, it's a black thing,' and then slap him, just for my mental health," Charles Barron, a member of the New York City Council, told the crowd.'

Be careful Mr. Barron. I carry for a reason - my mental health.

[T Lady]

Are you kidding? This is the LAST thing these sniveling cowards would take a position on! As I mentioned previously, no one, specifically Terry McAuliffe and crew, have no intention of taking any such action on reparations. Heck, they're not even THAT dumb! You'd have Republican administrations back to back, starting with Dubya's landslide re-election victory in '04. ...HEY, BRING ON THOSE REPARATIONS, PLEEZE!!!!

[Dan from Michigan]

I remember that. And ironically, it was a black woman that saved the Klan guy's life.

I wonder if he's still in the Klan..

[ASDFGHJK]

dude, we've probably paid out more than that already over the past 30 years.

[A CA Guy]

Award an amount and deduct all the public assistance given to all of their families through the generations.

That being done would have them oweing the USA money and perhaps could pay off the national debt!

[ZULU]

White America PAID reparations for slavery - at places like Gettysburg, Antietem, Petersburg, Shiloh, Chickamauga, etc., not to mention the flood of affirmative action (reverse discrimination) laws and penalties inflicted on later generations of innocent whites.

The only "Reparation" I'm willing to give these lazy, cheap shake-down artists is a one-ticket to anywhere else in the world they'd like to go.

[Dan from Michigan]

" (black Muslim) was asked on Hannity and Colmes (or was it O'Reilly) last night about blacks enslaved in Sudan. He didn't (or refused to) believe in Arabs enslaving blacks.

Maybe because that many of the blacks enslaved in the Sudan are CHRISTIANS.

[DBtoo]

I think the government should compromise and give any of the blacks who want reparations and land a free one-way ticket to the African country of their choice.

[zarf]

Nah, they'd spend the reps on cell phone usage, SUV enhancements and fur pimp shoes.

[okie01]

"We need payment for...destruction of our minds..."

Ol' Louie sure got that one right...

[ozzymandus]

Is this a NY City councilman advocating a racial hate crime?? Where are the police?? Why isn't this man facing federal charges? Oh, yeah, he's black, that's why.

[usadave]

"We need land for political independence, we need millions of acres," Farrakhan added. "We need payment for 310 years of slavery, of destruction of our minds and the robbery of our culture."

I don't know where Farrakhan came up with 310 years because slavery was legal in the United States for only 89 years (1776-1865).

[goldstategop]

Basically more or less its socialism only this time the beneficiaries should be an entire racial group. I can't see ANY white politician being suicidal enough to propose such a massive transfer of wealth from whites to blacks at gunpoint. They're not even considering it in Kalifornistan, which tells you everything you need to know about the marginal, crackpot nature of the reparations movement. Sure, they may have a few big names behind them but the bottom line is its essentially being pushed by black racists infatuated with Afro-Marxism. There's little chance that Robert Mugabe's brand of socialism will take root here and so far the reparations proponents haven't exactly endeared themselves to the very white people they've made it plain as day they hate and whom they hope to loot.

[goldstategop]

You know, if a white speaker at a "White Power" rally said the exact same words uttered by Barron at yesterday's black racist shindig, he'd be arrested and charged with committing a hate crime. But when it comes to hating whites, its open season as far as the Left is concerned. Some racism is more equal than others.

[Michael2001]

Can you imagine if a white city councilman said something similar about blacks?