By: Leon Kwasi Kuntuo-Asare
“Just get over it, it happened along time ago” are two phrases most commonly used by both conservative Whites and our so-called White liberals allies when Black people speak about the need of reparations and other tangibles to fix many of the socioeconomic problems caused by systematic White supremacy, which are destroying what’s left of a semi -functional Black America community.
Ironically, those same words are never spoken when the victim of an historic crime is non-Black. Japanese-Americans forced into internment camps during World War 2 received reparations, White Union slave owners who supported the Union and had to get rid of their slaves received reparations, European Jews after World War 2 received reparations, and Native Americans, some of whom (The Five Civilized Tribes)fought for the confederacy against the Union received reparations, yet their former slaves did not and still have not received reparations.
Why do I bring this up? Simply put, the check is due. Too long have Black people simply voted for the candidate that we perceive to be the lesser of two racists, only to find out later with elected officials like the Clintons or even Obama, they were not less racist, neglectful or harmful to the Black community, they were just better at pretending to be our allies.
Every subgroup of Americans vote for politicians who claim to support policies that positively affect their community. Latinos tend to support politicians who support immigration from Latin-America, Jewish people tend to support politicians who support Israel and other Jewish causes, White women tend to support politicians with White-feminists agendas. Black people are the only people who overwhelmingly vote for politicians who never promise to support any policies that specifically helps the Black community, in fact we tend to vote for people who go out their way to hurt us.
American politics is about “quid pro quo”, a favor granted for something, in a capitalistic society nothing is free and neither should be our vote. We as Black people vote overwhelmingly Democratic and are the base of the DNC voting bloc, yet receive little to none of the benefits. Even affirmative action mostly helps White women and other non-Black minorities that include White LGBTQ people and White Hispanics, who often practice just as much racism against Black people as Anglo-heterosexual Americans.
It’s time Black people unite and demand benefits, including reparations specifically for us, and if the Democrats refuse, then we should refuse to give them our vote.
MLK on reparations
