The Christian and Reparations Pt.1 - The Scene(s) of The Crime
My Introduction to Reparations.
As an afro-Caribbean / British West Indian man, my introduction to the term reparations was culturally imported. In American films and TV shows, "reparations" would be uttered by the stereotypical afrocentric black American. You know the guy or gal often draped in dashiki. Who saw the spectre of oppression by “the man” (white man - oppressive system) around every corner, and could verbosely inject these suspicions into any conversation. They held deep distrust, and in some cases blatant hatred towards white people. And romanticise repatriation to their ancestral homeland (Africa). My most vivid encounter through cinema was in the 2002 movie The Barbershop. The film, in part, celebrated the “black barbershop” as a physical marketplace of ideas, where very little by way of debate topics was off limits. Interestingly enough the scene where reparations is tackled is dominated and culminates with an argument in opposition to reparations. Michael Ealy’s character ‘Ricky’ argues that black people instead of demanding reparations, needed to exercise financial wisdom and/or “restraint” in their spending, and maximise the obvious opportunities available to them. His arguments for personal responsibility made sense, but I could tell was unpopular. Thankfully, popularity is not a prerequisite for truth.
Ground Already Covered.
In Christian circles discussions on reparations have intensified over the past few years. Well-known pastor and author Thabiti Anyabwile, most notably, has been at the forefront of the debate in the evangelical space, as pro reparations. In his 2019 blog Reparations Are Biblical he outlines a case (in principle) for reparations. He also summarises the agreements and objections of the two competing groups, in and outside the church - I encourage you to read it here. Since there is very little variance on areas of agreement, my aim will be to expand on the objections, which he notes as:
- innocent parties paying for the crimes of others
- restitution being paid to those who have not experienced slavery or oppression
- confiscation of wealth (or tax) of today’s citizens to pay for past crimes of others
All points of contention I think, are encapsulated in the relationship between restitution and responsibility.
Unpacking these objections, within the broader arguments, I hope, will add nuance to the conversation. While maintaining the biblical objective of seeing and displaying the cross more clearly. I first want to briefly explore the broader history of slavery and the possible motivation for the narrow presentation we’ve readily accepted - we’ll call this The Scene(s) of The Crime. Secondly, Slavery By The Numbers - how economically viable was slavery? Was it truly the "economic engine” some claimed it was? And thirdly, we’ll take a harder look at the socioeconomic and cultural realities of black America, and it’s impetus in the reparations debate, let’s call this Losing The Race (taken from the book with same title by John McWhorter). First, expanding on the history of slavery and its significance to the reparation discussion. And whether Duke University’s William “Sandy” Darity’s first of three aims for reparations - “acknowledgement of the wrongs done,” can be truly met without acknowledging all parties involved, including Africa. In other words, is Africa’s conspicuous absence, from the slavery discussion, as participants, intentional? Are they omitted for fear that acknowledging such details, would render reparation demands toothless?
America’s “Original Sin?!”
The word slave for example is a derivative of the name Slavs, Slavic language speaking Europeans in the Middle Ages, enslaved by other Europeans and Muslims. Between 1500-1800 some estimate up to 1.5 million white Europeans were enslaved by North African Barbary pirates - white European Christians were especially popular targets. And ironic as it is tragic, white European slaves in Egypt were emancipated on August 3, 1885, through the Anglo-Egyptian treaty of August 4, 1877, this occurring 22 years after black American slaves were freed in the US. The scale of this universally shared, depraved human practice was mammoth, spanning centuries. Before manufacturing everything we own, historian Martin A. Klein describes China as the largest facilitator for the sale and acquisition of humans in the world. India’s slave population alone dwarfed the slave population of the entire Western Hemisphere, and in many South-East Asian countries, slaves outnumbered free citizens. Slavery was everywhere and was experienced by every demographic. Yet these are not the details we encounter in our cultural discourse or even in our schools concerning slavery.
Most damning to the commonly accepted Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade narrative is the active participation of African kingdoms in the slave trade. Africans were the product; procured the product (through raids); and sold the product. They were active in every stage in the supply chain. Much stronger Costal tribes, specifically those on the west coast of Africa, would raid weaker inland tribes, and those captured would be sold into slavery. In the 17th century the west coast of Africa became the main hub for the trafficking of African slaves - with up to 100 thousand sold annually.
Unlike Arabs who captured all their African slaves, most slaves shipped into the Western Hemisphere by Europeans were purchased. Operating much like a “cartel,” African suppliers directed Europeans to specific ports to purchase slaves to maximise profits. This is because navigating much of the African terrain posed too challenging, but more impeding was the lack immunisation to African deceases, relegating Europeans to mainly customers, and not raiders.
And what role did the Arab Muslims play at the time? It’s common to hear of European enslavers, but curiously Muslims, the most notorious enslavers of Africans in region evade criticism. Between 1650 and 1850 its estimated that 5 million slaves where transported from West Africa alone under the expansion of Islamic states, who also controlled North and East Africa as well.
Though there is no exact number of the total trafficking or dispersion of humans due to slavery in the African region, during this time. What is certainly known, is that most slaves caught in Africa remained in Africa - Sudan and Nigeria in particular. Enslaved by other Africans, and used for agriculture, domestic work, armies, human sacrifice and other endeavours. Scholars estimate that 11 million slaves were shipped across the Atlantic, while 14 million remain to Islamic states.
What’s The Motivation?
So why the historical omissions? "Why this provincial view of a worldwide evil?” I trust that there are people who are unfamiliar with the history and imbibe what is popularly disseminated or taught. Others are swept up in the emotive currents of images and stories, surrounding the discussion and desire to respond compassionately. I suspect however that for some, a more encompassed view of slavery would be inconvenient to their social justice stance and ideology. I can think of two arguments that would undermine the narrative (1) the white immigrant population in America (especially Eastern Europeans), it could be strongly argued, has its own legacy of slavery (along with Communist oppression), which would significantly defang the social justice supposition of slavery being a uniquely black experience and (2) if other ethnicities have their own legacy of slavery, yet currently are outpacing black Americans in education, socioeconomically etc. (like Asians, Africans, and British West Indians are), other, more plausible, uncomfortable, internal root causes for the disparities we see would have to be considered. I share Dr. Sowell speculation when he says,
“Why would anyone wish to arbitrarily understate an evil that plagued mankind for thousands of years, unless it was not this evil itself that was the real concern, but rather the present-day uses of that historic evil? Clearly, the ability to score ideological points against American society or Western civilisation, or to induce guilt and thereby extract benefits from the white population today, are greatly enhanced by making enslavement appear to be a peculiarly American, or a peculiarly white, crime.”
It’s not just innocent parties paying for the crimes of others, especially considering only 5% of the US population can be verified as having any connection with slavery. What reparations in America could present is essentially, victims paying other victims for crimes neither committed nor experienced. The late Dr. Walter E. Williams acknowledging the necessary union of restitution and responsibility, concludes,
Justice demands that all participants in the trans-Atlantic slave trade make compensatory reparation payments to slaves (including Africans and Arabs)…Since slaves and slave traders and owners are no longer with us, compensation is beyond our reach and it's a matter that will have to be settled in hell or heaven. (Reparations for Slavery by Walter E. Williams June 26, 2019)
Slavery, “Not a Skin Thing; But a Sin Thing.”
Equally unfortunate is the pretence that race and/or racism was the primary motivator for slavery. In actuality, for the greater part of history people enslaved their own - Africans, Europeans, Asians, Polynesians, and indigenous people of the West enslaved people who looked like them. Additionally, in the Caribbean there were black slaveowners, and it is estimated that one-third of freed slaves in New Orleans were also commercial slaveowners. “Vulnerability and availability, not skin colour,” it is argued, was the chief motivator for much of slavery’s history. Historian Daniel J. Boorstin says of slavery in the West, “Now for the first time in Western history, the status of slave coincided with a difference of race.” Therefore to say racism was the chief ideology undergirding slavery would be incompatible with much of history. To be clear, it is not to say that racism did not exist or was not motivation for some, in the times of slavery, Reconstruction, and Jim Crowe. Rather, the warning is against attempts at “enshrining” racism, by extrapolating more recent historical developments, in order to make racism seem more invincible; is it not racism’s touted invincibility and prevalence that drives social justice efforts today? After all the advancements and progress, even after the electing of a black president… twice, and with many urban cities that feature a black mayor, AG, police chief, school Superintendent and a majority black city council, we are to be convinced that racism is more pervasive than ever. Thomas Sowell is on the nose, once again when he says,
Racism is not dead, but it is on life support — kept alive by politicians, race hustlers and people who get a sense of superiority by denouncing others as “racists.” (Radom Thought by Dr. Thomas Sowell 2012)
and Hoover Institute fellow and author Shelby Steele reflecting in an interview, on the weaponising of victimhood by black Americans said,
I think we have come to a place in black America, sadly from my point of view, where we have once again begun to rely on our history of victimization as our primary source of power to wield within society. (The Global and Mail / October 23, 2015)
It could be argued that reparations would be as fervently discussed even if Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of a post racial society was realised. It is difficult to ignore however the correlation between: the touted perseverance of racism, that is said to permeate culture and institutions as a relentless legacy of slavery; and the legitimacy these claims award reparation efforts. In other words, would we be here, if individuals were "judged by the content of their character; and not the colour of their skin?” Asked another way - without racism's supposed prevalence, would there be any fodder to feed the flames of the many social justice campaigns? I suspect not.
Cold Hard Love!
The issue of reparations and slavery, is not as cut and dry when more of the picture is exposed; what may seem as a solution may only be trade-offs, particularly when perpetuating reparations for slavery in the US. One trade-off, is being implicated in the guilt-extortion of white people (especially white brothers and sisters), by ascribing culpability and requiring recompense, with no evidence of wrongdoing. Then there is the massive amounts of energy and emotional bandwidth spent on slaves dead for two hundred years, who we cannot help; while overlooking modern day slaves, in places like Benin, Sudan, China (Uyghurs), and also those human-trafficked across the US southern border, who we can help. Finally, there is the trade-off of deflecting blame unto society, and further inculcating dependence in the hope of one day perfecting that society; instead of cultivating personal responsibility, which is more conducive to recognising one’s own fallenness and the need for an already perfect, soul rescuing saviour and His gospel.
It is understandable that for many, this is an emotional subject and cold hard facts can appear to be exactly that, too cold, too callus. Certainly not to be deployed when uncritical compassion seems most appropriate, Christian, and safe. However, emotions can be authentic, and at the same time unjustified. If we believe that the “heart is deceitful above all things,…” (Jer. 17:9) and if everyone including the Christian is susceptible to cleverly crafted philosophies (Col. 2:8), then our emotions and thinking require constant interrogation. We should, therefore, orientate our hearts to be accepting of interrogation. The tools of which to do so are often times, cold hard facts and data. I encourage my Christian friends, to carefully and prayerfully investigate the claims and arguments made by those for and against. Weighing the preponderance of truth claims, insisting upon adequate evidence, and testing for congruency with the gospel.
That said, I hope this lends to a more objective and evidenced based way in which we Christians view and engage society and culture. That white brothers and sisters will recognise that (1) they are not barred from the conversation or relegated to being listeners only and (2) are to still engage tactfully (as is everyone!). Remembering our responsibility to steward the knowledge and acumen we acquire through the grace of God, for the glory of God and the edifying of His Church. Let us all pray that the Lord blesses our difficult, uncomfortable, imperfect, conversations, making them frequent and fruitful. And that by the Spirit we will love each other more than our ideological leanings.
References
W. Montgomery Watt, The Influence of Islam on Medieval Europe (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1972), p. 19.
Robert C. Davis, Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters: White Slavery in the Mediterranean, the Barbary, and Italy, 1500-1800 (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), p. 23.
R.W. Beachey, The Slave Trade of Eastern Africa (New York: Harper & Row, 1976), p. 137.
Martin A. Klein, Breaking the Chains: Slavery, Bondage, and Emancipation in Modern Africa and Asia, edited by Martin A. Klein (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1993), pp. 8, 11, 19, 20.
Et al.
Thomas Sowell, Black Rednecks & White Liberals (p. 112 ).
Thomas Sowell, Black Redneck & White Liberals, (New York, New York: Encounter Books, 2005 (p. 113)
Willard B. Gatewood, Aristocrats of Color: The Black Elite, 1880-1920 (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1990), p. 83; Ira Berlin, Slaves without Masters, pp. 124, 386 cited in Black Redneck & White Liberals
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