Holding America Accountable: Reparations for African Americans

Abstract

This research paper delves into the enduring presence of racism in the United States and its infiltration into the nation's laws and institutions. It aims to shed light on the imperative for reparations to address historical and ongoing injustices endured by Black Americans, while also examining the barriers that have hindered meaningful discussion and progress in this area. The data collection is a combination of primary and secondary research methods with an emphasis on meta-analysis, school-wide surveys on public knowledge of the topic, analysis of charts from the Federal Reserve, and an interview with Dr. Menna Demessie, Ph.D., former Vice President of Policy Analysis and Research for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Drawing from a wide array of sources, this research paper uncovers systemic and structural manifestations of racism, persistent in the United States. It critically examines how racial disparities in education, housing, criminal justice, and employment continue to perpetuate racial inequality. The research findings highlight the urgent need for reparations and the moral imperative to acknowledge and redress the enduring harm caused by slavery, segregation, and ongoing systemic racism. Through the exploration of existing reparations programs in other countries and the examination of potential models, this study offers insights into the practical implementation of reparations within the United States. Furthermore, this paper investigates the suppression of the discussion surrounding reparations by analyzing the historical, political, and social factors that have hindered the advancement of reparation initiatives, including institutional resistance, racial bias, and the perpetuation of divisive narratives.