California about to be the first state to administer reparations!s

[Huggy Bear]

California task force: Reparations for direct descendants of enslaved people only

After more than six hours of debate Tuesday, California’s reparations task force voted that only Black Californians who can prove a direct lineage to enslaved ancestors will be eligible for the statewide — and first-in-the nation — initiative to address the harms and enduring legacy of slavery.

The nine-member task force voted 5-4 in favor of defining eligibility for reparations based on lineage “determined by an individual being an African American descendant of a chattel enslaved person or the descendant of a free Black person living in the US prior to the end of the 19th century,” the motion read.

This will set a precedent that other states will follow ultimately up to the federal level.

[Paraselene]

Looks like lots of black people are going to consider moving to Cali after they've checked out Ancestry.com.

[Huggy Bear]

@Foxaire

I don't see a problem with that, all the yt people moving out and a lot of them are coming to my area (Boise) and driving up the real estate value (value of my home increased by 300%).

[Ranjr]

You live in Boise?  No wonder you're tense.

The government has paid "reparations" to people who need help for 80 years.  They simply call it something else.  Descendants of slaves are entitled to more than welfare, in my experience and estimation.  So, I agree with such measures.  But I wonder, are descendants of slaves willing to call it "even" after that?

[Huggy Bear]

@Ranjr

I wouldn't say that reparations are "help", reparations is what the U.S. owes for forcing a group of people to build it for free.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

While I think reparations are the right thing to do, I'm a little unclear about something - the title of the article (and comments within the article) says the reparations would be allowed for 'direct descendants of enslaved people only', but the wording of the actual motion says 

determined by an individual being an African American descendant of a chattel enslaved person or the descendant of a free Black person living in the US prior to the end of the 19th century,

So, is it descendants of enslaved Black people only, or it is descendants of enslaved Black people AND the descendants of free Black people in the US prior to 1901?

To be clear, I'm not objecting to either scenario.

Boru

[Paraselene]

I'm wondering, since white slave owner men did rape and/or have consensual sex with black slave women, will white people descended from slaves also receive these reparations?

[The Grand Nudger]

No, but neither will most black people, either. That's sort of the point of the whole charade.

[Ranjr]

@Ranjr

I wouldn't say that reparations are "help", reparations is what the U.S. owes for forcing a group of people to build it for free.

I would say that "help" is part of reparations.  Slaves were treated horribly, but not genocidally.  Descendants who need extra help deserve it.  Those who don't need it overcame the mistreatment of their forbearers.  

That's why I don't take advantage of benefits available to me because of my grandmother.  Her people walked the Trail.  But I did alright.

[brewer]

Why didn't they include the indigenous native americans? Fuckin racists.