I unfortunately wasn’t paying attention when Prometheus 6 did a brilliant series of posts discussing reparations. But now he’s sort of collected them all (or collected the links to them all, anyhow), and it’s highly recommended reading. From P6’s introduction:
I’ve seen that a major argument against reparations is that we shouldn’t do it because we don’t know how to do it correctly. My response is we should do it, and therefore we must figure out how to do it correctly. Doing it correctly involves recognizing that cash payments should not be the goal. I’ve seen too many broke-ass lottery winners in the news to think cash is the cure. Doing it correctly means recognizing that since the damage was done environmentally, structurally, reparations must either change the mainstream structure or help create an African American environment and structure that strengthens our communities so that we can withstand the forces generated by the mainstream structures.
My feeling is that most discussions of reparations – or of affirmative action – are marred by a lack of clarity about the alternatives. Opponents of these plans always talk as if the alternative reparations needs to be compared to is an alternative of justice and fairness. In reality, the alternative is a continuation of the status quo – a status quo in which the US has and continues to have a racial underclass. Compared to continuing with that reality, I think almost any plan is more just and fair; in fact, my real thought about reparations and AA is that neither one of them go nearly far enough..
I am rather pleased with how that series turned out. And I have collected it, and the comments to each post, into a series of pages I’m going to make permanently accessible.
I’m doing the same with an earlier series on Racism because it’s incomplete and I intend to pick it up again. I don’t want people to have to search all over the place to find previous references. Both series will be posted by the end of the week.
Another good thing about the Sharpton candidacy. Good post and links.
I don’t know enough about the reparations issue yet, so I confess I can’t say much about it that is substantive. I will say, though, that I think Prometheus is right about the cash issue. There is not only the danger that cash is too ephemeral a solution, but also that once the cash payments were made, a lot of Americans will then say, “Okay, you got your money. Don’t ever complain again. Racism is over.” And it clearly won’t be.