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June 19th is historic in African-American culture.
Back in 1865, enslaved African-Americans were informed of their freedom.
Yesterday, (June 18th) there was a congressional hearing about if America should pay reparations for slavery. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gave a cringing response.
He said we should consider electing President Obama as “compensation.”
In addition,
“America should not be held liable for something that happened 150 years ago since none of us currently alive are responsible.”
Keep in mind, America pays out pensions to Civil War soldiers and we still honor treaties from 200 years ago.
Another thing to keep in mind, enslavement shaped the U.S. economy.
“By 1836, more than $600m, almost half of the economic activity in the United States, derived directly or indirectly from the cotton produced by the million-odd slaves. By the time the enslaved were emancipated, they comprised the largest single asset in America. Three billion in 1860 dollars, more than all the other assets in the country combined.”
The average black household has one-tenth the wealth of the typical white family.