Comments by "girl from the bronx by way of el barrio" (@girlfromthebronxbywayofelb7288) on "The Battle Over Reparations | Meet the Press Reports" video.

Even if you just calculate lost wages, there is clearly money owed. If you worked at McDonald's for minimum wage, you know you would demand that they pay you your last check when you quit, right? So what would a "field hand" be paid in 1864? Now, multiply that by a lifetime for their work. So a ridiculously low annual wage, multiplied by 60 or 70. The lifespan can be determined by census records and genelogical studies. Honestly, even if you didn't add interest and punitive damages for the cruel physical punishment visited upon those enslaved workers, those lost wages are a sum of money that no one can dispute. In a country as wealthy as ours, an apology without a monetary award is hollow and insulting.
11
You didn't listen to the program. They specifically mentioned that although California was considered a Free State, southerners who came to California for the Gold Rush in 1849 brought their slaves with them. So there were enslaved people in California.
7
Unpaid labor, that's not practical. Someone thought it was cute to have workers who never get paid. Back wages please. Thanks.
4
Chattel slavery was completely different from the struggles of immigrants and those who live in poverty. Yes, poverty is grinding; being an immigrant is extremely difficult. However, none of those groups experienced chattel slavery. That's why the history of slavery is the deepest scar in USA history, and it still has not healed. We need to be smart enough to ignore the political demagogues who are trying to use African American history curriculum, diversity and inclusion, and critical race theory as buzzwords to get elected by people who have not taken the time to face our history head on.
3
Immigrants had it rough, but nothing compares to the horror of chattel slavery. If you don't understand that, it is because you haven't done the reading. Really look into the subject, and then you might look at the topic differently.
2
Talented historians and genealogists are able to trace who benefited from the slave trade and slave ownership in California. The descendents of those entities should pay into a fund to repay the free labor upon which their families built their wealth. That process can then be repeated state by state.
1
This subject is probably impossibly complex to fit into 28 minutes. However, it is brave to attempt to start the discussion. Our nation will never heal if we can't face these issues. Just try to really listen. Try.
1
@dragonknight9016 Please look in the mirror and question your need to prejudge strangers. I am not directly impacted by reparations. However, I know enough U.S. history to understand that chattel slavery is the central scar in our history. We must be brave enough to examine this horror, to discuss it rationally, then roll up our sleeves and do the repair work. Pretending that this is someone else's problem is irrational at best.
1
When they started to talk about "slum clearance", that touched a chord for me. Many private homes in the Bronx were taken to construct the Cross Bronx Expressway. It looked like progress at the time, but turned out to be one of the most damaging things ever to be perpetrated on the borough. It cut a scar across the Bronx, created pollution and increased asthma rates, and eliminated many private home owners from those neighborhoods. That had an outsized impact on the local economy. In working class neighborhoods, the homeowners add a kind of economic stability and leadership, even though they are not wealthy by any means. The building of large Housing Authority projects in the name of "slum clearance" had somewhat similar impacts in other neighborhoods and other boroughs. That was a huge mistake because it gave a positive thing like affordable housing a bad name because of how it was done. Government must pay attention when there is a desire to rip something out by the roots to do these big builds. Pay attention to what is being destroyed before building something new. But I don't think that was happening in the 1960s.
1
Genealogical studies, census records and family trees can absolutely determine who are the descendents of slaves. Although indentured servitude is indeed horrible, nothing compares to chattel slavery. That is why it is the central scar in USA history. Pretending that it wasn't so bad just means that you weren't paying attention in social studies class.
1
Not a simple task, but a necessary task. A bit simpler might be a block grant to a neighborhood or community that experienced high rates of slavery and is still disadvantaged economically. Tutoring programs, career development, truly affordable housing, small business support, African American farmers, etc. Yes, reparations probably should be federal, but given the obstructionist GOP in Congress, California showed some courage and wanted to lead the way. Huzzah. Vote out the GOP and we can get a lot of things accomplished on the federal level. 💙🌊💙🌊
1