Obama and the Drive for Slavery Reparations
CL-Please read all of the information provided and continue to educate yourself. This is a serious matter and another reason to vote against Obama the non-unifier. ~WordForIt
Cliff Kincaid AIM
[. . .] One of Barack Obama’s mentors, Frank Marshall Davis, was a member of the Communist Party USA and filled a young Obama, before he went off to college, with anti-American thoughts and ideas.
[. . .] Conyers, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has endorsed Obama for president.
Conyers’ bill to create a “Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African Americans” was first introduced in 1989. He praised N’COBRA in a statement he issued in 1999 and sponsored a subsequent event, “Capitalizing on Our Strength Empowering the Reparations Movement,” featuring a representative of N’COBRA.
The issue became so big that the CBS Evening News, then hosted by Dan Rather, did a story about the controversy, highlighting the fact that the Chicago City Council had become the fourth major city to pass a resolution calling for reparations.
Randall Robinson, the director of the group known as Trans Africa, wrote a book, The Debt, on the subject, and hosted a conference on reparations featuring such luminaries as actor Danny Glover.
One thing is certain: Carruthers is hoping for an Obama win. Federal Election Commission records show that she gave his Illinois Senate campaign $500 and his presidential campaign $2,300.
Another thing is certain: The Hill newspaper reports that Conyers hopes to move his reparations commission bill when Obama is in the White House. The paper said, however, that Conyers “has not called on the senator to endorse his measure because ‘I don’t want to put him on the spot.’” The Hill said that Obama’s campaign “did not respond to requests for information about the senator’s position on the bill.”
Read Entire Piece here or here
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Further Study:
H.R. 40: Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act **Links to above Library of Congress page. “Citizen Joe” site—Recommended!
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Slavery Reparations - The Ultimate Prize
Elizabeth Wright Issues & Views
What are black youth to make of the adults around them who insist that their life chances are “limited” due to the enslavement of their ancestors, the segregation of their ancestors, and the mistreatment of their ancestors? Should they assume that all the black men and women who have lived since those troublesome times were powerless to construct productive lives beyond those past ordeals? Should they assume that they too are just as powerless to move beyond this past adversity, unless and until bundles of money, this time in the form of official “reparations” for the labor of those ancestors, are delivered to them?
As readers have learned from the pages of Issues & Views, in the years much closer to slavery than we now live, blacks founded and ran their own towns, owned and prospered on millions of dollars worth of land, formed so many successful businesses that it necessitated formation of the National Negro Business League, directed their own schools and colleges–all of this long before the 1950s. [. . .]
Elizabeth Wright is an African-American writer and editor of the Issues & Views Magazine and blog. Her articles were also published in Issues & Views.
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Black Slaveowners
Robert M. Grooms
[. . .] In the rare instances when the ownership of slaves by free Negroes is acknowledged in the history books, justification centers on the claim that black slave masters were simply individuals who purchased the freedom of a spouse or child from a white slaveholder and had been unable to legally manumit them. Although this did indeed happen at times, it is a misrepresentation of the majority of instances, one which is debunked by records of the period on blacks who owned slaves. These include individuals such as Justus Angel and Mistress L. Horry, of Colleton District, South Carolina, who each owned 84 slaves in 1830. In fact, in 1830 a fourth of the free Negro slave masters in South Carolina owned 10 or more slaves; eight owning 30 or more (2).
[. . .] In 1860 William Ellison was South Carolina’s largest Negro slaveowner. In Black Masters. A Free Family of Color in the Old South, authors Michael P. Johnson and James L. Roak write a sympathetic account of Ellison’s life. From Ellison’s birth as a slave to his death at 71, the authors attempt to provide justification, based on their own speculation, as to why a former slave would become a magnate slave master
[. . .] Although lawmakers of the time could not envision the incredibly vast public welfare structures of a later age, these stipulations became law in order to prevent slaveholders from freeing individuals who would become a burden on the general public.
Interestingly, considering today’s accounts of life under slavery, authors Johnson and Roak report instances where free Negroes petitioned to be allowed to become slaves; this because they were unable to support themselves.
[. . .] Ellison was so successful, due to his utilization of cheap slave labor, that many white competitors went out of business. Such situations discredit impressions that whites dealt only with other whites. Where money was involved, it was apparent that neither Ellison’s race or former status were considerations.
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“Slavery reparations” brings to mind the bitter ex-spouse who typically cannot stop hating and continues to cling to all the wrongs committed in a relationship turned sour. They are the ones who will attempt to project hatred of the other parent to their children, too self-absorbed to recognize the poison of self-loathing being instilled. I have seen circumstances in which they continue to harass and sue until a wise judge puts a stop to the insanity and tells them to take responsibility for themselves and move forward.
The ones pushing the reparations agenda are now claiming “Post-Traumatic Slavery Syndrome”. We do not have to look any further than places like Obama’s church to find the origins of this so-called trauma—it’s called perpetuating hate! ~WordForIt
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Reparations - NEVER. Repatriation - yes ASAP.
I did not know that some cities has passed resolutions calling for reparations for black Americans. Was surprised to read that but I believe it. Just goes to show how much contempt blacks and their leaders have for America.
I wonder if black politicians peddle this reparations idea as a way to ensure their re-election. Maybe. It is a good way to distract black voters from real issues that could actually improve their lives.
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Word reply~ You’re exactly right about the distraction and the self-serving purpose of those involved, Lyn. It’s not all blacks/AfAm that are pushing this but the ones who are, from any background, do it for the reasons you state and more. Another great black conservative leadership site that I should have cited is: http://www.nationalcenter.org/Reparations.html
http://www.nationalcenter.org/P21NVGreenReparations501.html —” We, as black Americans, owe reparations for slavery. We must succeed so that our ancestors will not have died in vain. Their presence in this country has given us an opportunity unique in comparison to any other black community on the planet. There is no excuse for the things many of us have done to squander what those before us died to provide.”
If we live long enough, we’re going to suffer injustices but the idea now is to turn everyone in to a ‘poster child’ for publicity and monetary gain. I know of a family whose son may have been killed b/c of sexual orientation but they would not pursue the ‘full extent of the law’ against the perpetrator so that the son would not become a statistical ploy in the gay rights fight.
There’s a lady in Mass. who recently found out she is a descendant of a witch who was tried and burned. She sought reparations and lost.
I have Irish/Cherokee heritage—a lot of history there, including black slaves were considered more valuable than the Irish b/c of strength. None of that harmed me and I was taught to persevere and and do my best!
Such a me, me, me, I, I, I world!
Lyn
April 23, 2008
Very interesting post WFI. The Civil War used to be one of my keen interests. I bought the PBS videos years ago by Ken Burns, I was so enthralled. So it was very interesting to me to read these great links..
I have known for awhile about some cities calling for reparations for Blacks. Yes, I am sure with Obama in the White House, it will be brought up..probably in his last 4 year term..the first 4 years would probably be prep work for a lot that we may not be aware of and probably would not be happy with. Who would have thought?
Personally I am tired of the same ole whine. They are more prejudiced imo than the ‘typical white’ person.
Excellent as always
Hugs
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WFI reply~ History is my favorite subject and I have more books than will fit on the shelves! ;-)
The project21 link should have been added to this b/c they have some excellent articles on (against) reparations and other issues. It’s all about money and I have never known money to make real sorrow go away. I agree with you that this is a sure indicator of where the racists are and what their poison creates.
There are so many doing their best work to get the message across as to what a sorry state we’d be in with Ob in the White House, it’s no one’s fault if people won’t read and heed!
Love & Hugs!
angie
April 23, 2008