Dear Evanston,
I highly recommend this podcast--Reparations: the Big Payback, with Erika Alexander (Living Single, Get Out, Run The World) and Whitney Dow (Two Towns of Jasper, I Sit Where I Want, The Whiteness Project).
The pair--Erika, a Black woman, and Whitney, a white man--use engaging (sometimes quirky, but always informative and easy to follow) storytelling skills and experiences to explore the argument for and against the controversial topic of reparations for Black Americans.
Some of the topics they address:
The history of slavery.
The history of reparations.
Are reparations warranted and, if so, why?
What would be the outcome and consequence of paying reparations?
What is the “wound” of slavery and how will it be healed?
The case for and the case against reparations.
The moral case for reparations.
Who qualifies for reparations and who qualifies as Black?
What form would reparations take?
The value of reconciliation.
The podcast also investigates the underlying, racist architecture of modern businesses, laws, policies, and institutions that have their roots in slavery. The hosts show how the money earned during slavery still multiplies today.
Finally, they answer the question: if the enslaved ancestors of African Americans built America for free, will America ever be able to pay the debt for this sacrifice?
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