Raffey
2 min readApr 29, 2024

--

Way too many working people think that reparations would have to come out of their pockets, but that is NOT true.

Massive amounts of money acquired through slavery are still serving as “investment capital” in the coffers of huge corporations, financial institutions, trusts, banks, foundations, Ivy League Universities, etc. For 158 years, this slave generated "investment capital” has been earning interest and/or realizing profits (for white people). Today, we are talking about many trillions $$$. Inasmuch as the earnings on these investments have been used to purchase land, buildings, equipment, factories etc., these hard assets add trillions more to the reparation bucket of slave generated wealth.

Examples of slave generated wealth, include producers of consumer goods, like Brooks Brothers, Tiffaney & Co., Jack Daniel’s, and Domino's Sugar. The Harvard University Endowment ($49.5-Billion). Some of the largest insurance firms in the US, including New York Life, AIG and Aetna. Bank and financial institutions and banks like JP Morgan, Citibank, Lehman Brothers, Bank of America and Wells Fargo. CSX and Norfolk Southern Railroads. USA Today newspaper. There are hundreds more.

Capitalism did its job and kept earning money on money. As a result, reparation funds are available today – ready to be paid out in today’s dollars (which is a heck of a lot more than 40 acres and a mule). The longer we wait to pay “our” debts, the higher the price of that 40 acres and a mule will become.

Its time capitalism paid its reparations debts. The whole nation would benefit from the return of hoarded money back into the working economy.

I know, I've posted this comment on other related article. I just thought it worked here as well.

--

--

Raffey

Rural America is my home. I serve diner, gourmet, seven course, and homecooked thoughts — but spare me chain food served on thoughtless trains of thought.