Reparation: two views

This zine contains two essays written by two different authors, both of whom are Black folks that either were or were formerly incarcerated, about whether reparations are a just means of Black liberation. The first essay is "Are Reparations the Key towards Black Autonomy?" by Jahaun McKinley, and the second essay, writted in response to the first, is "Understanding Reparations as a Tool towards Black Autonomy" by Ali Khalid Abdullah. 

The author of the first essay, Jahaun McKinley, is unconvinced that reparations are the path towards autonomy and freedom for Black people within the so-called United States. McKinley goes on to state that there is no conceivable amount of money that could be offered to rectify the immense struggle that Black folks have been forced to endure through slavery, imperialism, systemic cultural erasure and the complete dispossession of land and personhood. Further, McKinley continues that the blood-soaked money of Amerika's capitalistic oppression and imperialist exploits are not suitable for building a new world of moral righteousness. McKinley concludes with saying that the "United $nakes" would only give reparations if it politically or economically suited the western world. He ends his essay with this: "our liberation will be bitter-sweet if we allow Amerika to kill others to pay for the deaths they committed against us."

Ali Khalid Abdullah concedes that there is no amount of money able to repair their stolen land and resources, the destruction of their cultural and religious heritage, and the systemic disenfranchisement and dehumanization of Black folks through slavery's more than 400-year long period and the mistreatment that followed and continues today. However, Abdullah believes that reparations are essential for meeting the legitimate needs of the future Black folks are building for themselves. He quotes fellow comrad George Jackson in saying that in order to build a revolutionary practice, basic needs like food and housing need to be met. He further expands on McKinley's argument about the "unrighteousness" of accepting the aforementioned blood-soaked money by explaining that slave labor is the very backbone of this capitalism and therefore the descendants of those whose labor was abused by the capitalist machine are deserving of reparations, if only a portion of what they are truly owed. 

The two essays, while perhaps seemingly oppositional, both make the case for Black autonomy in the face of American imperialism, continued systemic anti-Blackness, and exploited labor for the capitalist machine. Being only a few pages long, I recommend taking a moment to read and reflect on the words of both authors.