DISQUS

Jack and Jill Politics: Congress Apologizes to Black People & It’s About Time

  • CraigHickman · 1 year ago
    Why am I not moved?
  • D. · 1 year ago
    Hell, I know why I'm not.
  • ochyming · 1 year ago

    Reparations for African-Americans would boost the economy, Dave says and I concur. It’s a win-win, y’all.


    Really?
    How?

    Actually The money would be BACK, as the reporter SAID!

    AH! AH!


    Apologies HELPS more the transgressor, makes the transgressor more HUMAN.
    But is a GOOD start!
  • TruthSeeker · 1 year ago
    A day late, and a dollar short.
  • BlackButterfly · 1 year ago
    I've said on a previous comment that I think that this resolution is a good thing because it puts it in the historical record! But...it is only a start.

    Reparations???? I don't agree with sending out blank checks to descendants but I do agree with reparations if it is about taking money from all the companies/institutions that benefited from slavery and then putting that money into urban/impoverished communities to do the following:

    1. Create excellent educational and healthcare choices
    2. Open community and daycare centers for the youth
    3. Offer parenting and job skill centers for adults
    4. Rebuild the communities with affordable housing

    Yeah...if reparations goes to doing those things then I am on board!
  • Bronze Trinity · 1 year ago
    I concur entirely. It sets a historical record of "The Man" admitting he was wrong and that slavery and Jim Crow had long-lasting consequences for Black people that exist even today. Even if people think it is nothing without reparations, isn't the chance of getting reparations better now that they actually admitted the wrong-doing? If they had not applogized then the chance of reparations would be nil. This has to go into the history books.

    Any time someone tries to justify slavery by saying it was for economic purposes, its in the Bible, everyone did it, Black people had slaves and sold their own, it had nothing to do with racism etc. you just have to say, "If it wasn't wrong then why did they appologize?" They did it because it was cruel, inhumane, and barbaric. Yeah there was slavery in other places and even Africa, but the Trans-Atlantic and racist slave trade was a million times worse. They made people slaves for life, they made their children slaves, they made slavery dependent on the mother so that White male slave owners did not have to free their children or leave money to them, they worked people to death, they stole their names, history and culture. It was just WORSE and people need to stop trying to justify it! All slavery is not the same just like all punishments and executions are not the same. Some ore more brutal than others and Congress has now admitted it.
  • Acts Of Faith Blog · 1 year ago
    It's a start. A good start that needs the appropriate actions through completion.
  • jelana · 1 year ago
    What is amazing to me is most Black people have not even heard about it. It was only a 5 second soundbite on the MSM. It should have been a much bigger story than that. I am not actually thrilled about it. And what does *rectify the longterm effects" actually mean?
    It was just something to say and most likely means nothing!
  • Kwame · 1 year ago
    I hope all the folks celebrating on this blog also understand that this apology is going to cost Obama white votes. White folks will be suspicious that this apology, under a black President, will lead to reparations which many of them don't support.

    As a black guy, I am surprised why many of us just can't shut the fuck up and help this brother win. Somebody should tell Ludacris that and all those jumping on apology/reparations train should also listen.

    White folks are suspicious of reparations and I don't blame -- I don't wanna be held responsible for some shit my great great grandparents that I never knew did.
  • jelana · 1 year ago
    There are no reparations included in this resolution and Barack is against reparations!
  • pajoyner · 1 year ago
    "words without deeds are meaningless."

    this non-binding resolution means NOTHING to Blacks in America. it doesn't address the social, financial, and physical ills that have plagued the Black community since the ending of slavery and Jim Crow! i am not advocating the writing of checks, but if they can realize the wrongness of the act, then they should also acknowledge some responsibility for curing their inherent ills.

    better yet... write me a check!
  • Nita · 1 year ago
    Why now?
  • Nita · 1 year ago
    Also, I don't want reparations. Reparations is a mind game - and we won't win it. We need to stop focusing on it.
  • grapesoda · 1 year ago
    yeah we could borrow more money from China to give to Black People who didnt earn it and probably wont save it...
  • cheryl aka jill tubman · 1 year ago
    Oh I think we earned it, grapesoda, given all the years of unpaid and then underpaid labor of our ancestors.
  • kdizi kdizo · 1 year ago
    more empty mumbo-jumbo from the powers that be. how does this "apology" move us forward as a people/as a country? it doesn't. there is nothing concrete to be gained here. have things gotten so bad - so hopeless - for us as a "colored" people that we'd except this empty politically expedient monologue as something positive? as far as i'm concerened this story doesn't warrant any addualtion from us. we really shouldn't give it much serious attention at all. let's please keep our eye on the ball folks. let's stay focused on trying to figure out real concrete things that we can do ourselves - in our back yards, in our communites - to begin to address the myriad issues that we face. an apology for slavery ain't gonna do it. barack ain't (can't) do it. the act of voting alone ain't gonna do nuthin'. we have to figure new and creative ways to fix the various messes that we are in. find your own human agency folks - believe in yoursleves. stop looking for leaders, messiahs, good white-folks - to get us out of this mess. yes, they may all play a part - but ultimately - it's up to YOU - WE - US.

    Might I suggest a book - "I've got the light of Freedom" In short - it's about the organizing tradition of the south and how ordinary people came togehter to accomplish extra-ordinary things.

    "Up"
    kdizo
    www.kdizo.wordpress.com
  • BlackAmericanPrincess · 1 year ago
    Off topic for a moment, these are FLY! I'm getting me a pair, bump that!

    fly Obama kicks
  • GreenLadyHere · 1 year ago
    BAP: These are tight!!! :>) :>) Where are they sold?
  • tnbubba · 1 year ago
    I agree with reparations. I think they should do it. Lord knows, we need to have more rap music recording companies launched, as well as help the automotive chrome rim industry.
  • tnbubba · 1 year ago
    Are we going to have National Negro Apology day? That day, every white person has to go up to at least one Negro and apologize?

    "you, I'm sorry Negro. I'm sorry, blood. I'm sorry you can't take care of yourself and are still upset over injustices committed 150 years ago. I'm sorry your current state of your current race is so pitiful, you can't even dig yourselves out of the toilet with the help of affirmative action and other handouts. Here's to celebrating your sorriness."
  • online poker tournament · 1 year ago
    They've apologized to the Japanese-Americans, the Hawaiians, it's only fair to apologize for taking blacks from their homeland, stripping them of their culture, language, forcing them to work and breed, and then denying black Americans the right to vote in the country of their birth. I think somebody deserves an apology.