An article popped up on my newsfeed about four weeks ago from the The Philadelphia Tribune regarding the United Nations suggesting reparations for all descendants of African-American slavery. I had no idea there was a U.N. Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent. The Chair, Mireille Fanon Mendes-France of France said,
“The colonial history, the legacy of enslavement, racial subordination and segregation, racial terrorism and racial inequality in the U.S. remains a serious challenge as there has been no real commitment to reparations and to truth and reconciliation for people of African descent…Contemporary police killings and the trauma it creates are reminiscent of the racial terror lynchings in the past,”
Ok, I know we will all say, “So what else is new?” Between now and September 2016, when the panel gives the final report in Geneva, prayerfully, a concrete plan will be set on the reparations that are due to us. The optimist in me is hopeful considering U.S. finalizes 3.4 billion settlement with American Indians. Of course reparations is not a new issue for us but what worries me is the slow death it will endure because we are more concerned with Beyonce’s “Formation” video and what message she is or is not saying. We each have to do our part so we need to write to our Congressperson to ask about their stance on H.R. 40. Representative John Conyers (D) has been trying to pass this since 1989. WOW, I am sleeping big time. The interesting thing is I cannot not finding any information on how presidential candidates, Hilary Clinton or Sen. Bernie Sanders feel about this issue. Clinton’s website mentions nothing about reparations as Sanders’ has one article by John Nicholas detailing Sanders account of being on the National Mall in 1963 and what Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Freedom Budget proposed. In all fairness, I know each candidate can not address all issues at once but I would like to see some mention of it. Once I finish this, I will go to Twitter and ask the question to each candidate in hopes of a response from their perspective campaigns.
In the meantime, let’s each do our part. I know we are all super busy doing “things” but please take a moment to contact your representatives to address the question. At least this is a start.
- Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) – 202-224-4654
- Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) – 202-224-4524
- Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) – 202-224-2023
- Representative Donna Edwards (D-MD) – 202-225-8699
- Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) – 202-225-8050
If anyone knows more information, please add it to the comment section of this article.
UPDATE: Check out this youtube of Sen. Sanders being asked about this topic. Here’s one from Clinton’s campaign
shespeaking.com 