The topic of payment of reparations for slavery in the United States has recently been reignited and become a trending topic. With elections nearing, several presidential hopefuls have also weighed in on the topic. This February, U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential hopeful, Elizabeth Warren, announced her full support for reparations for black Americans affected by slavery.
Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Cory Booker also spoke extensively about the need to pay reparations for slavery when he testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee during the first congressional hearing on slavery reparations in over a decade last week.
Just a day before the hearing, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell caused controversy when he rejected reparations for slavery with rather questionable reasons.
“We’ve tried to deal with our original sin of slavery by fighting a civil war, by passing landmark civil rights legislation. We’ve elected an African American president,” he told reporters.
Apart from citing the election of former President Barack Obama as one way the nation has dealt with its “original sin of slavery,” the Republic lawmaker also said that it would be hard to know whom to pay.
“I think we’re always a work in progress in this country but no one currently alive was responsible for that and I don’t think we should be trying to figure out how to compensate for it,” he was quoted by the CNN.
On the day of the hearing, author Ta-Nehisi Coates, who is best known for his 2014 article “The Case for Reparations,” called out Mitch McConnell for his comments when he testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee.
With the topic not dying down anytime soon, TMZ caught up with Los Angeles rapper The Game who insisted 40 acres of land and a Lamborghini (in reference to the famous ‘Forty acres and a mule’) as reparation payment for every African-American is just about right.
Asked if it was going to bankrupt the country, The Documentary rapper couldn’t care less.
“I don’t know what it’s gon’ do [to the economy],” he said. “It don’t matter what it does because the country was built on the backs of, you know, slavery.”
The rapper, who also disclosed he cannot vote because he is a convicted felon explained why voting rights for felons needs to be amended. Take a look at the video below:
Take a look at some reactions to his stance and share with us your views:
How about something like better education in low income neighborhoods or to invest more into inner city housing
— Jordan Kendall (@jordankendall54) June 22, 2019
Stocks, bonds , student loan alleviation, more tax deductions, paying less taxes … so many realistic options out there . Not discounting this one but let’s be real.. we not getting Lamborghinis lol
— Chef CuRii (@thePoWer_RangeR) June 22, 2019
How about proper funding for black communities so that they can have better education and improved quality of life? TF am I gonna do with a Lambo if them shits break down? You know how much it costs to maintain those things?
— Matt (@TheDivineBoy) June 22, 2019
Then what should native Americans get, or the Irish or Italians and Chinese just to throw a few out there smh
— Sherlock Gittleman (@AssassinIacg) June 23, 2019
How about health care and free uni for all African Americans?
— Girl Davis (@Thatgirldavis) June 23, 2019
a Foundation to where a family could be set for 50 years and it evolves around their education housing with a car to where it could be set for there children could build off of make it simple and also works with their credit for there future# restructurewithoptions.
— Kxng Swiss (@kyngswiss34) June 23, 2019
Keep the lambo… Give me the acres and a 6 figure check, and a automatic credit score of 800. I feel that would be appropriate!
— Tay from West Philly (@tay46wp) June 23, 2019
Nah give me my money and I’ll invest so my kids kids kids will see that money… most of yah know that money going back into THEIR hands… Nah I got plans plans… #zoo4life #femalenoah
— FemaleNoah (@Female_Noah) June 23, 2019
More lucrative than a Lambo, how about free stock in companies that profited from slavery that’s still around
— king of taco (@tigerthedj) June 22, 2019
40 acres no doubt, however you can keep that damn Lambo. I’ll take three John Deer tractors instead.
— M’Ba Kool ??? (@MemphisOnAir) June 23, 2019