Discussions about reparations are only partly about finances. The ultimate goal is about morality and community – to ensure, as much as possible, that all Americans believe that they have a stake in society, and that society has a stake in them. 50% of black Americans report that they, personally, have been mistreated by law enforcement, as opposed to 3% (IIRC) of white Americans (I’ve cited this poll many times – I can find it again if anyone would like). Due to their own experiences, and the experiences of their parents and grandparents, it’s my understanding that a very significant portion of African Americans very reasonably believe they live in a white supremacist society, in which they don’t have a reasonable chance to succeed. A big part of changing this very reasonable perception would be (from the point of view of proponents of considering reparations and similar policies) a very great gesture on the part of society as a whole – I don’t think such a gesture would be possible by any institution other than the US federal government. Not just to the point of ensuring that they are treated equally by any and all institutions in society (though that is obviously necessary), but demonstrating that society as a whole recognizes the misdeeds perpetrated against them and is making some significant attempt to make up for those misdeeds.
We know who the incarcerated Japanese were. For the most part, we don’t know with certainty who had slaves as ancestors, and many, many people who think they are 100% white, Native American, etc. have some African-slave ancestry and don’t know it.
There would be massive, massive resistance to the idea of “white people being forced to pay money to black people because of something out ancestors did to their ancestors.” If it passed, I would fully expect widespread violence. I’m mostly liberal, but I sure as hell wouldn’t be happy about someone shoving their hands into my pocket for that.
It wouldn’t be ‘White people’ It would be the US government, as an institution, which failed to live up the ideals it was supposed to uphold for all people within its jurisdiction making redress, and that’s how I expect it would be marketed.
What about what Ta-Nehisi Coates (and I) have advocated – Congress formally investigating the details of how various institutional discriminatory policies and practices have financially harmed living Americans of color? Would that make you angry, and do you think that would lead to “widespread violence”?
Let’s say this study is conducted and we get perfect information of whatever kind you want. Then what? Can you outline out in broad strokes how you get from there (the study being done) to whatever end point you want to see happen?
Personally, and off the top of my head, I’d advocate for a controlled, long-term experiment – take a single small town or community of African Americans, give those that have been financially impacted by the policies studied reparations based on the level of harm, and study that community for the next 10 years or so to see what the impact is.
That was General William T Sherman who issued Special Field Orders to give some freed slaves following his army some land (no mules were mentioned). He ended up settling 40,000 freedpeople on 435,000 acres in the Sea Islands. However, after pardons were issued the old landowners fought those claims, and in the end the freedmen only retained control over 1,565 titles amounting to 63,000 acres. 1900 were resettled nearby, given land at very low rates.
Later, based upon this Congress passed the Southern Homestead Act which opened about 46 Million acres for Freed homesteaders, about 1000 took advantage of this.
No one ever promised all freed slaves “forty acres and a mule”.