Organizing for America | Ari Merretazon's Blog: Obama, change, reparations, will make America better

Obama, change, reparations, will make America better

By Ari - Nov 26th, 2008 at 3:44 pm EST

Comments | Mail to a Friend | Report Objectionable Content

If you missed it last year, word on the street has it that when U.S. Senator Barack Obama is elected as President of the United States a reparations accord for Blacks in America will be reached under the collaboration of U.S. Congressman John Conyers (D. Mich) and the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’CORBA). Yes we can! Here is why I believe this. African chattel enslavement will be accepted at the highest level of government as crimes against humanity, in another word a holocaust. I use this word as Dr. Mualana Karenga, the founder of Kwanzaa, defines it: “a morally monstrous act of genocide that is not only against the people themselves, but also a crime against humanity.” Dr. Karenga says the holocaust of enslavement expresses itself in the three basic ways: “the morally monstrous destruction of human life, human culture and human possibility.” If the reader of this commentary is still under the delusion that the enslavement process of Blacks was long, long ago, and that Blacks deal with it, should get over it, , and move on, you should consider the math which Ezrah Aharone presents in his book Pawned Sovereignty. He uses America’s official version of history that enslavement of Africans in America began in 1619 and was abolished in 1865. This means that to the year, “Blacks spent 246 years in captivity. Since it is now 2008, blacks have been so-called “free” for only 143 years.” This means that 100 years of so-called “freedom” (1865-1965) were spent self-healing and self-repairing the damage wrought by chattel enslavement. Even today, Blacks in America, as a group, are still impacted by the vestiges of chattel slavery and are still seeking recognition as equal humans.

So, of the 389 years in America, Blacks have been out of enslavement and segregation, as we have known it, for only 43 years! Present day society must understand that during the 100 years from the Emancipation Proclamation to the Civil Rights Act of 1965, the crimes against humanity were being covered-up and generations indoctrinated to the enslavers history and psychology. For these reasons and more, the issue is no longer who should pay reparations to Blacks but what should be the elements of a reparations accord for Blacks in America to repair the damage and heal America The inauguration of Barack H. Obama as President of the United States of America will increase the likelihood of HR 40, the study to determine the impact of fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery on Blacks in America. This will form the basis of a reparations accord for Blacks in America. When HR40 is passed in the House and Senate, President Obama will sign it and I will be there. It is my opinion that an independent commission should administer and distribute these funds. Underlying this movement is a unifying principle we can not continue to ignore or fear: This is about making America better in every way. Yes we can.

Reader Comments	Comments RSS
Comments are closed for this post.

No comments have been written yet.

Content on blogs in My.BarackObama represents the opinions of community members and in no way should be interpreted as endorsed or approved by the campaign.