Introduction
Throughout its history, the United States has systematically oppressed Black Americans, who are descendants of African slaves, committing crimes against humanity that continue to have lasting impacts. While the country has made somewhat amends with Native American tribes—through legal settlements, land allocations, and financial compensations—it has stubbornly refused to address the atrocities committed against African Americans in any meaningful or equitable way. The U.S. government knows its responsibilities, accountabilities, and liabilities in this matter, yet continues to prolong the inevitable reckoning: reparations for Black Americans.
The Legacy of Slavery and Its Continuing Impacts
From the transatlantic slave trade to the end of legal slavery in 1865, the United States built its economic power on the backs of enslaved Africans. These human beings were forcibly taken from their homelands, stripped of their identities, and subjected to unimaginable cruelty and dehumanization. Even after emancipation, the oppression of Black Americans continued through segregation, disenfranchisement, and racial terrorism, creating a legacy that remains embedded in the socioeconomic fabric of the country today.
This dark history is not a distant memory but a present reality, with systemic racism continuing to plague every facet of American life. The disparities in wealth, health, education, and criminal justice that African Americans face are a direct result of centuries of oppression. According to a 2020 report by the Federal Reserve, the median wealth of White families was nearly eight times that of Black families. The same patterns persist in nearly every other measurable area of life.
Crimes Against Humanity: A Clear Case
Under international law, the atrocities committed during slavery and the ongoing systemic racism qualify as crimes against humanity. Article 7 of the Rome Statute, which defines the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC), lists enslavement, persecution, and other inhumane acts as crimes against humanity when committed against a civilian population in a widespread or systematic manner. The U.S.’s history of slavery, segregation, and institutionalized racism undeniably fits this definition.
Despite this, the United States has continually avoided accountability, hiding behind legal technicalities and political rhetoric. Reparations have been discussed, debated, and studied, but the government has not yet taken concrete action. The 1989 introduction of H.R. 40, a bill that proposes a commission to study reparations for African Americans, has been reintroduced in Congress multiple times but remains stagnant. This unwillingness to act signals a deliberate prolongation of justice.
The “Somewhat” Reconciliation with Native Americans
The United States’ history with Native American tribes is equally marred by genocide, forced displacement, and cultural destruction. However, the federal government has taken some steps toward reconciliation, though far from sufficient. Treaties, albeit frequently broken, were signed, and certain financial compensations have been made through the Indian Claims Commission and other legal settlements. Native American tribes were granted sovereign status, allowing for some form of self-governance, and specific reservations were designated as tribal lands.
While this restitution is incomplete and remains contested, it shows that the United States is capable of acknowledging historical wrongs and providing reparations—at least to some degree. Yet, when it comes to African Americans, even this limited acknowledgment has been denied. The question arises: Why has the U.S. chosen to extend a modicum of reparations to Native Americans, while continuing to deny African Americans the same decency?
“Reparations are not about the past alone—they are about the present and the future. Until America addresses its responsibility for the atrocities committed against Black people, it can never claim to be a nation of justice and equality.” – Ewing Redmond Samuels III
International Examples of Reparations
Countries around the world have faced their histories of crimes against humanity and made efforts to atone for their actions through reparations. Here are a few notable examples:
- Germany has paid billions in reparations to Holocaust survivors and the State of Israel since 1952 under the Luxembourg Agreement. This was an acknowledgment of the crimes committed by Nazi Germany during World War II.
- South Africa established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission following the end of apartheid, aiming to address the atrocities committed by the apartheid regime. While financial reparations were not as substantial as promised, the commission set an important precedent for acknowledging state-sponsored crimes.
- Canada has provided compensation to Indigenous communities affected by its Residential Schools system, where Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and subjected to abuse in an effort to assimilate them into Euro-Canadian culture. In 2008, the Canadian government issued a formal apology and established a compensation package worth billions of dollars.
- New Zealand has worked to reconcile with the Māori population, providing compensation for historical land confiscations and violations of the Treaty of Waitangi. While the process is ongoing, the country has made significant strides in addressing its colonial past.
These examples underscore the moral and legal imperative for reparations when a state has committed crimes against a population. The international community has acknowledged these wrongs, and the United States must follow suit in addressing its own historical and ongoing violations against African Americans.
The Inevitable Reckoning: Reparations for African Americans
The United States cannot continue to delay what is morally and legally required: reparations for the descendants of African slaves. The legacy of slavery is not just a historical issue but one that shapes the lived experiences of African Americans today. The federal government has a responsibility to address the harms it caused through centuries of enslavement, systemic racism, and state-sanctioned violence.
The evidence is irrefutable. The United Nations has acknowledged that the legacy of slavery and racial discrimination in the United States continues to harm African Americans. In 2016, the U.N. Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent recommended that the U.S. pay reparations to African Americans, stating that “past injustices and crimes against African Americans were rooted in slavery and racial discrimination.”
While reparations will not undo the past, they are a necessary step toward healing and justice. They represent a formal acknowledgment of the wrongs committed and a tangible attempt to correct the disparities created by those wrongs.
“Past injustices and crimes against African Americans were rooted in slavery and racial discrimination.” – United Nations
Conclusion
The United States has long delayed its reckoning with the crimes committed against African Americans, even as it has somewhat made amends with Native American tribes. But justice cannot be postponed indefinitely. History shows that countries who commit crimes against humanity must eventually face the consequences of their actions. The demand for reparations for African Americans is not a matter of if but when. The United States knows its responsibilities, accountabilities, and liabilities—it is time for the country to stop prolonging the inevitable and address the historical and ongoing harms it has caused to Black Americans.
Reparations are not merely about compensating for past wrongs; they are about building a future grounded in justice and equality. As more nations take responsibility for their crimes against humanity, the U.S. must face the undeniable truth: reparations for African Americans are long overdue, and the world is watching.
Sources:
- Federal Reserve. “Disparities in Wealth by Race and Ethnicity in the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances.” 2020.
- Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Article 7.
- United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent. “Report on its mission to the United States of America.” 2016.
- “Luxembourg Agreement,” 1952, Israel-Germany Reparations Agreement.
Until Next Time…
I Am,
Ewing Redmond Samuels III
