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Printer-Friendly ModeSlavery reparations discussed at lecture
February 13, 2006 —
Reparations for African Americans were the focus of the lecture "We Have a Right to the Land: African American Reparations and the Quest for Democracy" on Thursday night in Founders Hall.
The Black History Month lecture, presented by Sundiata Keita Cha-Jua, was part of the Barstow Seminar for Teaching Excellence in the Humanities.
Cha-Jua, director of the African American Studies and Research Program and associate professor of history at the University of Illinois, focused the lecture around the question "How can reparations be used to facilitate the transformation and democracy of the African American community?"
Reparations have been an issue since 1865, when slaves were freed by the Civil War. The purpose of reparations is to give land ownership as compensation of slavery. However, the promises of 40 acres and a mule to former slaves have yet to be fulfilled.
Cha-Jua quoted former slave Bailey Wyatt during his lecture to show how crucial reparations were post-slavery.
"We now as a people desires to be elevated and educated," Cha-Jua read. "We has a rights to the land. Our wives, husbands and children has been sold all over this land and to this, that is why we have the right to our land. Didn't we clear the land and plant the crops?"
Not only did Cha-Jua illustrate the suffrage of African Americans during the late 1800s and early 1900s, he presented his plans on what should be done if reparations were given to African Americans.
"The reparations movement can create a real energy around thinking about how to revitalize the Afro-American society," he said. "We can put money in maintaining churches, black institutions, and organizations. Reparations will force us to engage in uplifting the black working class if pursued correctly."
Cha-Jua briefly pointed out that "it is easy for people to understand the rights of reparations for Native Americans."
However, he argued, since "Afro-American reparations challenges the basic notion of capitalist property rights," it is more of a challenge.
The lecture ended with an open discussion with questions directed to Cha-Jua. One question raised was, "Should we focus on white issues, black issues, and Latino issues or people as a whole?"
"People who believe in a color-blind society tend to be more conservative and anti-black," Cha-Jua responded. "The notion of this society is dangerous because they think of 'race doesn't matter.' Race has everything to do with every part of life."