There have been many proposed solutions to end systemic racism, reparations for slavery being one. Reparations are a terrible idea. Systemic racism is a problem that’s deeply embedded in the system, something that doesn’t go away with a check. Systemic racism is like a wound. It won’t go away by simply rubbing it with alcohol and putting a Band-Aid on it, it takes time to heal. Take the stimulus checks given to Americans as a way to increase consumer spending. A similar situation, a stimulus of US$1,200 given to nearly every American in order to help alleviate the havoc wreaked on the economy by the pandemic. The stimulus check did little, if anything, to help the economy. As said by Suzy Taherian of Forbes, “Much of the stimulus checks had zero impact on the economy.”. A reparation paid to the descendants of slaves would have a similar effect (or lack thereof). Giving a check to those affected by systemic racism won’t help the problem, at least not by much. Racism takes time to decompose, society doesn’t change quickly. It will exist in the alienated nooks and crannies of society for many decades to come and likely will never fully leave us. However, we can work towards ending inequality and fight for the freedom of all men and women, no matter the ethnicity. There have been many solutions proposed to fixing systemic racism, many of which are good ideas. Changing the prison system from punishment to reform or instead of spending money on riot gear, spending it on rehabilitation therapy. Drug reform is also a great way to address the racial inequality, getting the kids off crack and onto something perhaps a little less life threatening and home wrecking. Another fantastic way to help end it is making voting easier in marginalised communities. Many of these communities are underrepresented within the political system, allowing for excessive force to be used without significant political resistance. There are numerous ways to help end systemic racism. Reparations are not an effective solution.
Bibiography: https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzytaherian/2020/05/15/new-stimulus-needed-1200-check-had-little-impact-on-economy/#6fbe71753ce1
I totally agree with you on this one! If it’s been storming for decades and you are soaked to the bone, just being handed an umbrella now isn’t really going cut it. Sure it will keep the rain off for a little bit, but underneath you’re still dripping wet and that umbrella isn’t going to last forever.
As you pointed out, there are so many aspects of racism that can’t be ended with a lump sum. You’re a thousand dollars richer but still no people who look like you on TV, or in government, or business, or medicine. That money does nothing to undo other people’s biases which are protected and justified by institutions in society.
I wonder what would be the best use of that money? Better funding for schools in black communities or maybe helping those unjustly incarcerated on marijuana charges? Those things are only the start of the list- they might be good starts but by no means should they be the end. I don’t know what the best option is but just because it’s hard to find doesn’t mean we should settle for something less than helpful/satisfactory.
This is such an interesting and relevant post right now. It’s difficult to know what can ACTUALLY be done, when there are hundreds of years of ‘band-aids’ as you put it, that keep things the same. Your reasons remind me a lot of Karl Marx’s views on bourgeois socialists – people who wanted reform certain parts of society and were concerned with charity and improving certain conditions. He believed them to be equally dangerous, tamping down protest when it gets out of hand, and creating reform instead of restructuring and getting targeting the root of the problem. The logic is also echoed in critical legal studies, which believe law maintains the status quo of society’s power structures. I think one of the biggest reasons as to why there hasn’t been significant change is because the interests are so bound to the economy. Investing in education, redistribution of wealth, and doing a total restructuring of how black people are represented and understood would be a huge cost. It’s obviously easier in economic terms to let them suffer systemic racism and bear with it. I love your suggestions on facilitating voting in marginalized communities and using riot gear money for rehabilitation therapy. I think there would be big results from these of kinds of approaches. Thanks for this – great post!
Your post reaches an interesting intersection between two of the biggest moments of the year thus far: the response to Coronavirus and the Black Lives Matter protests. While I certainly agree with the premise of your connection – that a one-off payment or ‘slavery reparation’ would be unacceptable or ineffective – it is important to understand the real reasoning behind this judgement. Firstly, at this point in time it is difficult to completely rule in one direction or another, as there could be unforeseen positive results from the helicopter money drop in the USA that have yet to be revealed. Additionally, and this relates to the idea of slavery reparations, why was the money drop introduced in the first place? If it was done so solely to stimulate the economy, it is not hard to see why it has thus been ineffective – given the lockdown, consumers are far more cautious with their spending, and are often unable to leave the house in order to buy anything. However, if it was implemented in some part to alleviate financial stresses at a time of great pressure on mental wellbeing, it is clear that it helped to serve its purposes. After all, as stated in the Forbes article, the money was used to pay for rent and food; commodities that are of great concern to the average consumer.
But how does all this relate to the slavery reparations? The stimulus check has shown us that we need to look at both the principles behind the action, and also the logistics of it. I would agree with you that slavery reparations fail to alleviate the economic stresses of those affected by slavery, saying nothing of how it would make little to no impact on systemic racism rife in social institutions. However, I would also posit that it would be logistically impossible to come up with an accurate number to encapsulate all the suffering experienced by communities due to slavery. It is far more practical and beneficial (such a great combination!) to look at more socio-political changes to our society, such as the ones you mentioned: improved access to voting rights, justice system reform, improved redistribution of wealth.
Though much of racism is systemic the personal prejudices outlined (largely informed by historical identities) are indubitably a crucial factor limiting the advancement and freedom of minorities. I agree reparations are a poor solution to racism, though the extent to which it mends systemic racism may be plausible. If we isolate systems from the prejudices and ignore their interconnectedness, the most important factor is that of economics and many of these further factors stem from the economic disadvantages. Nevertheless, to properly address these disadvantages I suggest would be infeasible within the means of the economy. Would we be able to provide any instances of systemic racism that do not relate to socio-economic disadvantage?
I agree with parts of your argument for not paying reparations to the descendants of slaves. As you point out, distributing money to United States citizens has not stimulated their nation’s economy during the current pandemic; however, redistribution of resources to those more in need than others can be of some benefit.
I agree more with your point that systemic racism cannot be left like an untended wound. While there are issues will the analogy, I agree that simply removing racism at both a formal and informal level, and screening people, institutions, companies, organizations, etc is insufficient to permanently eliminate systemic racism from any social system; as you also mention, like healing, social change is something that often takes time.
However, I do not agree that systemic racism is something that can be ‘fixed’; as you mention, I think it is something that can be addressed. Addressing the histories of policing and imprisonment as industries, does it make sense for us to be able to profit off social deviance? If we can, who decides who is and isn’t a social deviant, and how do we treat them? The same questions can be asked for drug decriminalization: What is and is not an illegal substance, and who gets treated how for possessing, selling, using, or becoming addicted to them? Why are they in possession? Why are they selling it? Why are they using it? Why have they become addicted to it?
Why are marginalized communities not as strong advocates in voting? Are they averse to the political system; do they not understand it; are they being prevented from voting? Are they politically resisting, and are their voices being heard?
In many cases it comes back to the beginning of the argument: Does paying the descendants of slaves reparations rectify systemic racism? No. However, having the option shows that those descendants do not have the same opportunities and resources as those who get to choose.