[OG story: Does anyone remember when I talked about working as a volunteer at the Durham Co-op? And why I quit? There was a serious shoplifting problem but the Co-op board had made the decision not to prosecute because they felt the predominantly black neighborhood of the store was disadvantaged and it wasn't really their fault that the locals shoplifted. I asked one of the Black Muslim women why people shoplifted there. "Because the Co-op is owned and run by rich whites who can afford the losses," she said. "But I'm a member and I'm not rich and I can't aford the losses," I replied. She didn't see the connection; that shoplifting losses meant my membership fee was subsidizing those who stole. When I saw the manager catch someone shoplifting who had shoplifted before (and would shoplift again), and refused to call the police--again--that was it. I couldn't allow myself to be a party to what I consider a terrible mistake. The Co-op is still stuggling along and the membership dues have gone way up. But none of my money is in it any more.]

September 3, 2001

Blacks divided over proper compensation for slavery American activists want cash, Africans prefer apology

Corinna Schuler National Post

DURBAN - A bitter debate about slavery reparations raged at the United Nations' anti-racism conference over the weekend but the loudest cries for money appeared to come from American civil rights activists -- not Africans.

Hundreds of African-Americans have converged on Durban to push for slavery compensation, ranging from respected academics and members of U.S. Congress to the Rev. Jesse Jackson and zealous black-power groups.

"Without doubt," said a British diplomat, "the loudest calls are coming from the American [non-governmental organizations]."

While black Congressmen lobbied for their cause in the backroom debates and drafting sessions, at least 100 Americans from the Black Radical Congress and other such groups took to the streets, screaming "Reparations now!" and "Black power!"

Such fervour is not evident among most African leaders. Even many who favour the concept say compensation should come in the form of development money -- not cheques for individual victims -- and several African presidents spoke out against reparations this weekend.

Nigeria's respected Olusegun Obasanjo argued money would be an insult.

"For us in Africa, an apology is a deep feeling of remorse, expressed with the commitment that never again will such acts be practised," he said. "The issue of reparations then ceases to be a rational option."

"We must not forget that monetary compensation, as it is being proposed, may further hurt the dignity of Africa."

But almost all the black American activists here are taking a hard line. Some put their own intolerance on display at the World Conference Against Racism on Saturday as they shoved aside journalists who questioned their cause.

Dozens of African-Americans registered as non-governmental delegates marched past the conference centre while self-appointed "security" officials pushed aside journalists and even one policeman.

"We own these streets," one declared.

"What do we want?" yelled a young woman at the front.

"REPARATIONS!" replied the crowd. "By ANY means!"

"What's coming?" asked the woman.

"WAR!" screamed the protesters.

Demonstrators refused to identify themselves or speak to reporters, but one self-described spokesman declared that reparations are "the only fundamental issue that exists" at the UN conference.

"We are going to get compensation by any means necessary," shouted Omowale Clay. "Who should pay? The perpetrators -- Belgium, France, England, the United States."

Six black members of the U.S. Congress -- all Democrats -- held a press conference yesterday to outline their calls for reparations, and were quick to anger when asked to respond to the position of the African presidents.

"I am familiar with the National Post," said Cynthia McKinney, a Democrat from Georgia. "I would hope the message coming out of the National Post from Durban isn't that there is separation between African and African-Americans.

"Canada itself has granted reparations. I see here that in 1988 Canada granted reparations in the form of 250 square miles of land to Indians and Eskimos." Barbara Lee, the representative for California, was also critical.

"To the young lady from Canada, let me say I was in one of the drafting sessions yesterday and -- bar none, every time -- Canada voted with the United States against the interests of Africans and Africans in the diaspora."

Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas announced that her "good friend," the Nigerian President, had assured her that there is no division between Africans on the continent and their brothers in America.

"I'm gratified to announce our unity today," she said to the applause of activists who had seated themselves in the front rows at the media conference.

Mr. Obasanjo had specifically stated that monetary compensation would "exacerbate the division between Africans on the continent and Africans in the diaspora."

Others noted that Africans were themselves involved in kidnapping slaves, and are still enslaving their fellow Africans in Sudan, Mali, Ivory Coast and other countries on the continent today.

Compensation for the American descendants of slaves would do nothing to help people like 17-year-old Mariama Oumarou, who broke down in tears yesterday as she told a packed conference room how she recently escaped slavery in Niger.

Cape Verde's President said it would be impossible to assess the psychological wounds of slavery and Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo insisted that repentance from wealthy countries is "the only reparation" he would like to receive.

The Presidents of Senegal and Uganda argued that Africa needs investment -- not individual compensation -- to recover, but both suggested that financial compensation for the African diaspora should be considered.

Behind closed doors, slavery reparations have all but been erased from the UN's declaration document. Diplomats said yesterday the European Union and the United States "will not budge," and few African nations have put up a strong fight. The only real debate now is how an apology for the slave trade should be worded.

Hedy Fry, Canada's Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and the head of the delegation here, ducked the issue in a speech on Saturday evening. "Slavery is a pernicious form of racism," she said, adding that the conference should "acknowledge the past, but not be prisoner to it."

September 3, 2001

Blacks divided over proper compensation for slavery American activists want cash, Africans prefer apology

Corinna Schuler National Post

DURBAN - A bitter debate about slavery reparations raged at the United Nations' anti-racism conference over the weekend but the loudest cries for money appeared to come from American civil rights activists -- not Africans.

Hundreds of African-Americans have converged on Durban to push for slavery compensation, ranging from respected academics and members of U.S. Congress to the Rev. Jesse Jackson and zealous black-power groups.

"Without doubt," said a British diplomat, "the loudest calls are coming from the American [non-governmental organizations]."

While black Congressmen lobbied for their cause in the backroom debates and drafting sessions, at least 100 Americans from the Black Radical Congress and other such groups took to the streets, screaming "Reparations now!" and "Black power!"

Such fervour is not evident among most African leaders. Even many who favour the concept say compensation should come in the form of development money -- not cheques for individual victims -- and several African presidents spoke out against reparations this weekend.

Nigeria's respected Olusegun Obasanjo argued money would be an insult.

"For us in Africa, an apology is a deep feeling of remorse, expressed with the commitment that never again will such acts be practised," he said. "The issue of reparations then ceases to be a rational option."

"We must not forget that monetary compensation, as it is being proposed, may further hurt the dignity of Africa."

But almost all the black American activists here are taking a hard line. Some put their own intolerance on display at the World Conference Against Racism on Saturday as they shoved aside journalists who questioned their cause.

Dozens of African-Americans registered as non-governmental delegates marched past the conference centre while self-appointed "security" officials pushed aside journalists and even one policeman.

"We own these streets," one declared.

"What do we want?" yelled a young woman at the front.

"REPARATIONS!" replied the crowd. "By ANY means!"

"What's coming?" asked the woman.

"WAR!" screamed the protesters.

Demonstrators refused to identify themselves or speak to reporters, but one self-described spokesman declared that reparations are "the only fundamental issue that exists" at the UN conference.

"We are going to get compensation by any means necessary," shouted Omowale Clay. "Who should pay? The perpetrators -- Belgium, France, England, the United States."

Six black members of the U.S. Congress -- all Democrats -- held a press conference yesterday to outline their calls for reparations, and were quick to anger when asked to respond to the position of the African presidents.

"I am familiar with the National Post," said Cynthia McKinney, a Democrat from Georgia. "I would hope the message coming out of the National Post from Durban isn't that there is separation between African and African-Americans.

"Canada itself has granted reparations. I see here that in 1988 Canada granted reparations in the form of 250 square miles of land to Indians and Eskimos." Barbara Lee, the representative for California, was also critical.

"To the young lady from Canada, let me say I was in one of the drafting sessions yesterday and -- bar none, every time -- Canada voted with the United States against the interests of Africans and Africans in the diaspora."

Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas announced that her "good friend," the Nigerian President, had assured her that there is no division between Africans on the continent and their brothers in America.

"I'm gratified to announce our unity today," she said to the applause of activists who had seated themselves in the front rows at the media conference.

Mr. Obasanjo had specifically stated that monetary compensation would "exacerbate the division between Africans on the continent and Africans in the diaspora."

Others noted that Africans were themselves involved in kidnapping slaves, and are still enslaving their fellow Africans in Sudan, Mali, Ivory Coast and other countries on the continent today.

Compensation for the American descendants of slaves would do nothing to help people like 17-year-old Mariama Oumarou, who broke down in tears yesterday as she told a packed conference room how she recently escaped slavery in Niger.

Cape Verde's President said it would be impossible to assess the psychological wounds of slavery and Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo insisted that repentance from wealthy countries is "the only reparation" he would like to receive.

The Presidents of Senegal and Uganda argued that Africa needs investment -- not individual compensation -- to recover, but both suggested that financial compensation for the African diaspora should be considered.

Behind closed doors, slavery reparations have all but been erased from the UN's declaration document. Diplomats said yesterday the European Union and the United States "will not budge," and few African nations have put up a strong fight. The only real debate now is how an apology for the slave trade should be worded.

Hedy Fry, Canada's Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and the head of the delegation here, ducked the issue in a speech on Saturday evening. "Slavery is a pernicious form of racism," she said, adding that the conference should "acknowledge the past, but not be prisoner to it."

-- Anonymous, September 03, 2001

Answers

I think it's important to concentrate on opportunity and freedom for advancement, rather than past problems. I saw a documentary in which they were talking to various Jews who had been in the Nazi camps when the liberation came. These people were now living and working in the US. Some of them still kept the whole past alive within themselves every day and it ruled their lives and thinking. Others put it all behind them and got on with their new found freedom to be whatever they could be here. The ones who had put it all behind them said that there was just no point in hanging on to the old pain and suffering. They said that yesterday was yesterday. Today is today. Tomorrow is the future that could be molded anyway they wished.

A few years back, when Oprah Winfrey was just getting rolling in her own daily show, she had a discussion one day about opportunity. Her audience had a lot of blacks, and some of them were very vocal about blaming the whites for standing in their way and making it hard for them to achieve good jobs at high pay. Oprah said that in her opinion that was a lot of bull. She said that nobody had been able to stand in *her* way, and here she was now with a nationally prominent TV show. Her audience didn't react kindly to that statement, and I have never seen her challenge her black audience like that again.

-- Anonymous, September 03, 2001

I'm sorry Oprah hasn't come out since with her beliefs. Maybe she was threatened--reparations promise big business to people like Jesse Jackson and those who want to be like him. ("Let me invest that for you.") I often think back to the Vietnamese boat people children who arrived here in the seventies, not knowing English or the culture and looking distinctly different, and within a couple of years made valedictorian--that was such a common occurrence. My Hungarian friend--arrived here at 15 knowing no English--made it through high school on time, put her mother through some college so she could get a good job, figured out that nursing would be a good career and worked her way through nursing school. Has a Master's now, her own home, her beloved Volvo wagon, investments and so on. It can be done if you work at it, no matter who you are.

By the way, I'd like reparations from the Vikings who raped, pillage, plundered and enslaved in Britain, then I'd like to get something from the Danes, Romans and French who did the same thing. And I think the English aristocracy owes me for the virtual slavery of my serf ancestors. I also think the Germans owe me from the trauma I suffered through them via World War II and for the trauma they inflicted on my parents and grandparents in WWI and II. Then there was Napoleon. . .

-- Anonymous, September 04, 2001

I don't know about any threats to Oprah, or even if she would react to such a thing. But, audience reaction is a *big* condideration, I'm sure. She isn't going to get her audience mad at her, I'm betting. However, I don't want to spotlight her alone. Bill Cosby, Tiger Woods, and countless other stars don't engage in such challenges either.

-- Anonymous, September 04, 2001

reparations for any living blacks that were captured and sold into slavery?

Just how many would that be? And how much do they deserve? How about what they sold for on the auction block, minus ship passage? [reduced rate, of course, since they didn't exactly have the best accomodations on board.] And, would they want to go back home?

I think an apology from the slavers would be the best they could hope for at this time. Now, are there any slavers left alive?

I agree with the statement, 'move on.' This constant bickering about the past isn't getting anywhere. And yes, there were others whose ancestors were just as maliciously treated, as Git pointed out.

How about we go in and free those women in, where is it? Afganistan? Treated as second class citizens because of some idiotic religious viewpoint, no doubt written by a man who was shunned by women because he was a jerk.

-- Anonymous, September 04, 2001

Letters to the Electronic Telegraph

From: Heinrich Harke, Reading, Berks

Re: Racist crimes against the Jewish people

Date: 5 September 2001 SIR - As a specialist in early medieval archaeology, I am offering my services as consultant to all those European countries who will now want to sue the Scandinavian nations for reparations: the brutal slave-raiding and trading inflicted by the Vikings on their unsuspecting, peaceful neighbours across the seas surely requires financial compensation on a considerable scale.

We would also confidently expect substantial repayments of Danegeld, with interest accrued over more than a millennium.

From: Leon Marks, Elstree, Herts

Re: Racist crimes against the Jewish people

Date: 5 September 2001 SIR - Hundreds of thousands of Jews (then called, strangely, Israelites) were most cruelly enslaved in Egypt by the Egyptian pharaohs for more than 400 years in far worse circumstances.

I am, therefore, left wondering whether this august alliance of African-Americans, Africans and Palestinians is similarly united in supporting this equally meritorious demand for reparations to be paid by the current Egyptian government to the descendants of those severely oppressed and humiliated Israelites (many of whom now live today, once again, in Israel) and just how high it is at present on their agenda.

Historical reports suggest that thousands of the Jews were brutally killed by the Egyptians during that awful era, particularly the first-born, which caused enormous distress. I must confess that I have not seen any reference to this as yet at Durban by this impressive new alliance. Has it been inadvertently overlooked?

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001