The Reparations Debate – By Dr. Dhanpaul Narine
Who should benefi t from reparations? The answer is that anyone that was forcibly displaced by colonialism has the right to argue for redress. They include those from the African continent, from Asia, Europe, and the native peoples. This means that Blacks, Indians, Chinese, Portuguese, poor whites and Amerindians have a valid claim for reparations.
Eric Williams said that a man in a coffin had more room than those in a slave ship. The history is familiar. Slavery was inhumane, brutal and nasty. When the ‘door of no return’ was opened millions of Africans were transplanted to other countries. Their entry shaped the demography, economy and culture of America and the West Indies.
According to statistics, over 4 million Africans were transported to America and the West Indies from 1610 to 1865 as slaves. Slave labor built the new colonies, made them rich and led to a Civil War when the American South refused to go along with Emancipation. In recent years, there have been calls for reparations to be made to the descendants of those that were enslaved.
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