Would African American reparations be America’s stimulus package?

By: Samori T. Swygert

What would you do if you opened your mailbox, and received a letter from the United States government?  The letter read something like this, “a review of historical data by members of various levels of government and the treasury department concluded that being a descendant of African American slaves that were wrongly obtained, detained, forced to slave labor without wages or salary, and subjected to various forms of abuse, we would like to first apologize with sincere honesty and hope you accept the enclosed check for $100,000.00. We are aware that the reward is meager compared to the hardship, disadvantages, and disenfranchisement that has occurred over the years.  However, due to rewarding numerous citizens that are eligible for this compensation, restitution, and reparation, we concluded this amount may help lessen the burden and show true contrition for the act of slavery.”

What would you do? The check is ready to be redeemed, cash money!!!

I pose this question because of a conversation a coworker and I had.  What would be the best form of reparations? Would the best act of reparation lie in a check for a specific amount of money, free education, work and live as citizens without paying any taxes, or etc?  My response to the question has a biblical basis. The book and passage of the bible I would rely on is; Romans 12:2- “and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”.

This is not a religious blog, but African Americans need a paradigm shift before receiving reparations.  I may be accusatory or speculative, but I firmly believe that we have been groomed into an addictive consumer relationship with America. It’s not fair to paint the whole African American population with a broad brush, but you must concur that a great deal of us are groomed to be consumers and not producers.  White Americans are large consumers also, but they differ from us because they are also largely the producers, owners and beneficiaries of various markets in the American economy.

I feel that $100,000.00 check would be a stimulus package to White America and other multinational groups.  The music, music videos, commercials, magazines and billboard advertisements indoctrinate us to be gross consumers.  This would be okay if we owned the majority of the products we consume or the sole proprietor of services we patronize.  The truth is we do not own the majority of what we patronize.  The contemporary culture overemphasizes and glorifies: luxury cars and aircrafts, designer clothes, top shelf alcohol, expensive electronics (new flat screens, Playstations, iPods, iPads, tablets, and computers), ostentatious jewelry, choicest restaurants, state of the art hotels and resorts, hi-tech fire arms, and then all the accessories, amenities and accoutrements  to top off our purchases.  Now this is not all blacks!!  We must free our minds from consuming the symbols and byproducts of success, and really achieve true success!  I am guilty myself, if this helps you settle into the honesty of these statements.

There are questions that need to be asked.  How many black owned automobile and aircraft manufacturers exist? How many alcohol breweries and distilleries are black owned? How many cell phone, TV and electronics manufacturers are black owned?  How many jewelers are black owned? How many black owned precious metals and diamond minds exist? How many choicest restaurants are black owned and franchised across the nation?  How many gun manufacturers are black owned?  What was the last black owned hotel or resort you’ve checked into?  How many black owned fashion designers do you know and purchase from?  What quantity of produce do you purchase from the black farmers?  If you are being completely honest with me (keep it 100), your answers to these questions should be, few to none.  I’m a pretty good dancer so I’m not trying to step on anybody’s toes, but this is done to force true introspection and self-evaluation.  These questions also reveal where our hard earned money is squandered, and where we are creating millionaires by false visions of success and happiness they solicit to us via various mediums.  These questions also reveal the various markets that we need to begin to compete in as owners and producers.  Why should others take from the black community?  Why must our dollars be everybody else’s stimulus package?

In the spirit of the Olympics, I would like to make a comparison of the Olympics to the African American community.  In the Olympics, various countries compete for the gold medal in various sporting disciplines (boxing, track, gymnastics, swimming, archery, and etc).  In our case, the gold medal translates into the “Black Dollar”.  The various sporting disciplines translate into numerous industries    (fashion, electronics, communication, recreation, entertainment, food, automobile, and etc).  There are so many cultures from various foreign countries within and outside our neighborhood.  They’re competing for the “Black Dollar”.

The conundrum is we are underrepresented in the competition for our own money.  In lieu of the current economic, educational, and social conditions, we need to transform through the renewing of our mind.  We need to begin learning these skills, technologies, business stratagems, and even create new markets and industries.  This is the era of the inventor and entrepreneur.  Unemployment is high, jobs are being outsourced, incarceration is increased, what are you going to do to get that gold medal?  Do you have the innovation to create a new industry and market to captivate the black consumer, and command the black dollar?  You have nothing else to lose if you’re already unemployed or underclass.

So we need to transform our minds to conserve our finances, pool our resources, plan and strategize.  The chances of receiving reparations seem slim, but we can’t let our disposable income be everyone else’s stimulus package.  We need to become more fiscally astute and financially scrupulous.  If we do not read, apply our education, and think outside the box, we will be doomed to be permanent consumers, and cemented in the underclass.  I’m starting by working on myself now.  I just wanted to share my spirit with you, and God Bless!