To the editor: As African Individuals, we aren’t shocked {that a} vital majority of non-Black Californians oppose the thought of the state providing money funds to the descendants of enslaved Black individuals.
Public opinion doesn’t kind in a vacuum. For many years the media have besmirched the picture of African Individuals, usually depicting us as violent criminals, welfare queens and parasites. In distinction, the requests of different teams who weren’t topic to widespread media vilification have been extra favorably obtained.
For instance, massive numbers of Individuals endorsed money funds to Japanese residents who had been incarcerated in jail camps throughout World Struggle II. The identical might be mentioned of economic redress granted to Native Individuals.
Allow us to be clear: 246 years of free labor from thousands and thousands of Black individuals anchored this nation’s early growth and finally catapulted America into turning into a contemporary superpower. In a capitalist system, money is one of the simplest ways to offer restitution to the previously enslaved, and the media ought to report this reality to set the document straight on America’s distinctive indebtedness to Black individuals.
Patricia A. Moore, Compton
The author is nationwide chair for reparations on the Nationwide Assn. for Equal Justice in America.
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To the editor: The headline absolutely led most readers to imagine that money funds to descendants of enslaved individuals are the first focus of the suggestions proposed by the California Reparations Activity Power.
In mentioning different suggestions, the article selected those who would doubtless be hot-button points for individuals who oppose reparations.
Specializing in ending the demise penalty, paying truthful market worth for jail and jail labor, and restoring voting rights to all previously and at present incarcerated individuals treats as secondary the long-ranging suggestions which are meant to deal with the after-effects of slavery and racial discrimination. The huge disparities have affected Black individuals in each stroll of life.
Referring to suggestions that can have an effect on eliminating these disparities would have given readers a extra balanced view of what the duty drive is making an attempt to perform.
Denise Flanagan, Riverside
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To the editor: Slavery was abolished within the U.S. in 1865. If a single era is 25 years, greater than six have handed since then.
The Nice Famine in Eire, which killed about 1 million individuals, happened throughout roughly the identical interval (1840s-50s). The famine was a direct reason behind the overlording British taking Eire’s crops for their very own consumption.
With generations having handed since then, it has by no means occurred to me to hunt reparations from the British attributable to their mistreatment of my ancestors.
If Gov. Gavin Newsom has aspirations for a continued political profession, he had higher dump this concept instantly. Not solely is paying money reparations a nasty concept, the right-wing media will make sure that it sticks to him like Hillary Clinton’s emails did to her.
Dan O’Connell, Santa Clarita
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To the editor: It’s not stunning to see resistance to money reparations as a result of the bottom has not been ready for our nation to simply accept duty for the implications of chattel slavery.
To know why, look solely to the unwillingness to teach our younger concerning the oppression of Black individuals as a result of some really feel non-Black youngsters may really feel unhealthy.
This must be the basic message: Our custom of justice requires that individuals struggling damages be made complete.
I counsel three areas for remediation: enhancements within the well being, wealth and academic alternatives of conventional Black communities. These may take the type of vastly improved free faculties and medical amenities, preferential small enterprise and mortgage applications, and the means to go on generational wealth.
Some could counsel different types of remediation. However first, a persistent marketing campaign should persuade the bulk that justice is lengthy overdue.
Philip Baer, North Hollywood
