Some of the most common arguments that you hear against reparations is that slavery was so long ago, no one alive today participated in slavery or was a slave, and that white people today shouldn't have to pay for the sins of their ancestors (being slavery).
The primary purpose of reparations is to close the racial wealth gap. Being that let's go with those arguments above. Let's say they are valid.
I can make an argument for reparations that has nothing at all to do with slavery.
At the end of WWII thousands of soldiers came home from the war. They had no place to live. Most of them couldn't afford to buy homes. The FHA (Federal Housing Administration) was started. During this time even though black soldiers were supposed to have the same benefits as the white soldiers racism and discrimination kept them from buying homes. They weren't even able to use things like the GI Bill to get an education in the same way as white soldiers (remember this was before Brown v Board of Education). Everything was segregated, so black soldiers wouldn't even be allowed to attend the same colleges as whites.
Even if black people somehow managed to buy a house, white flight would occur and their areas were so devalued that it rendered the homes and neighborhoods worthless. Even one or two black families living in a white suburb would lower the values of the entire area. This discrimination made it difficult if not impossible for black people to own homes.
Black people were discriminated against from using VA home loans. Only 2% if all VA home loans at this time were given to black people. A mere 2%. That is akin to almost none. This wasn't because they couldn't afford it or because they didn't qualify but simply because they were black. The FHA discriminated in the same way. Entire neighborhoods had deed restrictions that didn't allow black people to live there. Even now some of those deed restrictions never had the language changed, although new laws against it mean they can't be enforced.
Black people were discriminated against in jobs and education attainment. This led to blacks not being able to get ahead. The entire system was rigged against black people. Even those that had served in the military were discriminated against.
Being that one of the main ways that wealth is passed down is via real estate and home ownership, black people were kept from attainment of generational wealth. Black people were unable to pass down any wealth.
This was all long after slavery had been abolished. This discrimination had nothing to do with slavery. No other group was discriminated against in this way. As a matter of fact no other group was even here. Prior to the passage of civil rights immigration as it is today wasn't really even a thing. Irish, Italians and others were assimilated in as white and were not discriminated against in this way. There weren't very many Latinos and AAPI in the country back then. The only group that was discriminated against and kept from homeownership was black people.
Now picture 2 scenarios: Scenario A: A white serviceman returns from war, buys a house with VA loan and pays it off before his death. He passed this home on to his son. The house has near tripled in value. His son sells the home and pockets $200,000 in cash. He used $50,000 to go to school for civil engineering or whatever else. He gets a good job and has $150,000 still in the bank. He uses $100,000 to buy a home cash and rents it out. He uses the income from the rental property to buy another house. Because he isn't having to worry about the mortgage costs as much, he is able to invest his money from his job and he attains more wealth from his investments. He passes down two house to his son as well as the wealth he has gained from investments. (This trend continues from generation to generation)
Scenario B: A black serviceman returns from war and attempts to buy a house but is met with discrimination. He is refused to be allowed to buy a house. He thus rents. He has nothing to pass down to his son. His son has to start from scratch. The son manages to get into college for civil engineering but has to get student loans to pay for it. Due to the student loans he isn't able to buy a house until much later in life. He finally get a house and manages to pay it off but unlike the white serviceman he doesn't have a rental property that covers the cost. He is unable to invest his money because he has to cover the mortgage. At best he'll pass down just the one house to his son, but no wealth.
Even if we ran scenario B another way for that 2%: A black serviceman returns from war buys a house. He is met with discrimination and white flight occurs. The area he bought his home in is rendered very undervalued due to discrimination. His son has a house but it is only worth $60,000. The son is able to live in this home. The son manages to get into college for civil engineering but has to get student loans to pay for it still because he is unable to sell the home due to being in an undesirable area. He likely will still need student loans. He may be able to rent the home out to help him buy a better home but he is still behind the curve of the white guy in scenario A.
Mind you again this is all after slavery. So you can see from the examples how even after slavery racism and discrimination kept us behind.
None of the arguments apply:
1. slavery was so long ago ( doesn't apply because it was not that long ago)
2. no one alive today participated in slavery or was a slave (doesn't apply because several people alive participated in the discrimination and racism that kept us from homeownership)
3. white people today shouldn't have to pay for the sins of their ancestors (being slavery). (Doesn't apply because white people today are financially benefiting from the discrimination of their parents whom may very well still be alive)
So given that even if we don't discuss slavery at all, we still have a very strong argument for reparations. Slavery is just the primary reason. It isn't the sole and only reason.
These two videos show the exact same argument!
Login to view embedded media John Oliver breaks down the long history of housing discrimination in the U.S., the damage it’s done, and, crucially, what we can do about it. Connect with L...
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