Roman Reparations

Reparations are in the news lately; specifically, reparations paid to descendents of slaves by the owners and institutions that profit off the slavery (for instance, Georgetown University).

reparations Some people say there is no case for Reparations. All the people who participated in slavery are dead and buried. Although your ancestors may have owned slaves, you certainly didn't. America fought a civil war to abolish slavery; that should be enough. We've had a black President; that should prove we're post-slavery. This is the Mitch McConnell school of thought.

Others say: the two-caste racial system implemented to make slavery work outlives actual slavery. They say, the school-to-jail pipeline substitutes prison labor for slave labor. They say, the Civil Rights Act only took effect in the 1960's. Redlining persisted until the 60's. Racial disparities in income and education are still obvious. The wounds haven't healed. Children who are fifth-generation post-slavery are still suffering from the institutions and society that supported slavery. Given all that, reparations are appropriate. (I recommend, The Case for Reparations, by TaNahesi Coates.

And now, to me (because in the end, it's all about me). I received a settlement from the Diocese of Brooklyn, Roman Catholic Church for my sexual abuse in the 1960's. Fifty years ago. The perpetrators are all dead. The reparations paid to me do not make me whole, but they contribute to moving me closer to healthy.

There's a system of accusation, evaluation, investigation, and a neutral third party determines the amount of any settlement. Victimes give up any future litigation, binding their descendents. There is no Non-Disclosure agreement.

If I'm entitled to reparations for a 50-year old crime by a dead man, then descendents of slavery are entitled to reparations for their losses and trauma.