For several years, the issue of reparations for African Americans has remained a hot topic for discussion and debate. Several political hopefuls have used the idea as a political statement in order to gain the undying support of the very huge black community in America.
Earlier in February 2019, the U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential hopeful, Elizabeth Warren, threw her weight behind reparations for black Americans affected by slavery, a venture that is estimated to cost trillions of dollars.
The presidential hopeful went on to say, “We must confront the dark history of slavery and government-sanctioned discrimination in this country that has had many consequences including undermining the ability of Black families to build wealth in America for generations.”
Warren took her support a step further by backing a bill that would enable the formation of a commission to study slavery and develop reparations proposals.
With Warren and other presidential hopefuls speaking in favour of reparations, the U.S. is being applauded for finally taking reparations seriously amid self-praise for abolishing the slave trade, the latter ruffling feathers of black civil rights activists.
One person who has not hidden her feeling is Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.
The 55-year-old minister took to her Twitter to call America out and boldly state that the country does not deserve any credit for ending slavery.
The youngest daughter of MLK went on to add that: “A nation gets no credit for “ending” a violent atrocity that it allowed and cultivated on its soil and in other nations.”
Also, a nation gets no credit for “ending” a violent atrocity that it allowed and cultivated on its soil and in other nations.
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) March 19, 2019
Bernice King used the opportunity to also speak out her views about American history and racism in a tweet saying, “Lying about and denying the history of this nation and the influence slavery still has on us today won’t bring us together. Truth must precede and accompany reconciliation. Truth: People who point out racism and its dangers aren’t dividing us. Racism is. It’s killing people, too.”
Lying about and denying the history of this nation and the influence slavery still has on us today won’t bring us together. Truth must precede and accompany reconciliation. Truth: People who point out racism and its dangers aren’t dividing us. Racism is. It’s killing people, too. https://t.co/qDVFcJ27rK
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) March 20, 2019
The tweets received massive reactions from several people who shared her views.
It took defeat on the battlefields of a bloody war to end it.
Does Germany get credit for ending the Holocaust? No, and we damn well shouldn’t!
Exact same thing with America and slavery.— InsaneMystic (@VenusTaurica) March 20, 2019
yes! that’s why superficially shortsighted bombast about a one-time issuance of monetary compensation (gov’t checks) as the thing to address the “reparations” subject is actually NOTHING compared to changing the system/culture of-“..the policies, spirit & mores of this nation.”
— Angello Pizarro ? (@iamSoulArmada) March 20, 2019
Absolutely agree…Slavery didn’t go away it just changed its position…
— Jacquelyn Bramlett (@JacquelynBram5) March 20, 2019
It’s basically saying that we should give credit to serial killers who stopped killing one day.
— ShadeBrotha (@shadebrotha) March 20, 2019