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Volume 39, Issue 10. Today is .

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Volume 39, Issue 10
February 12, 2002

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Dialogue to discuss slave issue

By John Dean
For the Mesa Legend

As part of Black History Month, the MCC chapters of the NAACP and the Black Student Union (BSU) are hosting a panel discussion on the issue of slavery reparations to be held Friday, Feb. 22, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Kirk Center’s Kiva Room.

It has been estimated by Randall Robinson, author of the book, "The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks," that the cost for over 200 years of slave labor is approximately 1.3 trillion dollars.

Proponents of this debt being paid, and of the US government issuing an official apology for slavery, argue that recognizing and attempting to erase the economic debt of slavery will serve to bridge the gap between the races both economically and socially.

Organizers of "Reparations and American Redemption: A Community Dialogue," believe that the first step is discussion and are hoping to open a discourse with the community on this often times controversial issue.

Donovan Lamar, adviser for BSU, and Karen Hardin, adviser for MCC’s chapter of the NAACP, have worked alongside Gershom Williams, professor of African American History at MCC, to bring discussion on this issue to campus.

"We can try to sidestep and ignore the issue. But as long as things continue to be the way they are with African Americans in this country, I don’t think the issue of restitution or reparations is going to leave us," Williams said. "I believe if we really want to improve race relations, and if we really want to try and move forward and advance the human race beginning with the United States, we at least have to have some serious discussion about these issues. That’s the first step."

Lamar and Williams have both put their energies into creating this forum at MCC and have taken that first step in a fight that they see as absolutely necesssary for the progression of race relations in this country and ultimately worldwide.

"Let’s apologize, let’s forgive and let’s move on. But we can’t really move on until this is addressed. It’s like we are fooling ourselves," said Lamar.

"That’s the reason why we thought we would bring this issue to an educated forum, done in a professional manner, under intellect and under the scrutiny of different scholars and community members."

These advocates have also instilled in their students their passion for this issue.

Shae Alsowaidi, MCC student and member of both the NAACP and BSU on campus, sees this issue as just as important for the younger generation.

"I feel that it’s (the apology and retribution) something at least," said Alsowaidi. "It would repair some of the wounds that a lot of families still have today."

Proponents of reparations feel that, until an attempt has been made to rectify and recognize the injustice of slavery, Americans cannot be truly unified.

Both Lamar and Williams view slavery as an open wound in the history of the US and that this wound must be healed before equality can truly be realized.

"We say we want to hopefully minimize or eliminate racism and racial prejudice and we want to make this a better nation for all our citizens," said Williams.