The reason for this is two-fold. My ultimate preference or belief about what REPARATIONS is as a concept is about RESTORING Black Self-Determination. Self-Determination through Political and Economic Autonomy.
One look at how Reparations has been administered to Native Americans (where White American politicians/government have raided their Trusts) and even the complications from the Black Farmers reparations settlement shows that WE better be in control of the process if we want to ensure that we don't get cheated.
So, all those decisions about WHO QUALIFIES? and WHO GETS HOW MUCH? and What Form Reparations Takes and What Must Be Made Available To Us (Space, for the most part) are, properly understood, only ones we are authorized to make. And in so doing, our own Administration is necessary to accomplish that.
Also, I believe in Black Control Of Black Taxes with or without Reparations. By definition, a Black governing body is necessary to administer those revenues. Likewise, I believe in a Black Administration or governing body for Reparations itself, with or without BCBT -- Reparations in the sense of actual monetary or material compensation. But, again, the whole of RESTORATION, IMO, combines both the material compensation (money or in-kind) and the Mechanism Of Self-Determination (Lost) -- self-governance.
Ultimately, my views here are to change our democracy from a [WHITE] Majority Rule "democracy" to a Power Sharing, pluralistic, proportional, CONSOCIATED DEMOCRACY -- i.e. no separatism involved; just constructive engagement, constructive arrangements that lays out How We Will Relate to the larger U.S. gov't proper as functional EQUALS and not a subject(ed) people.
This is major. As a matter of principle, REPARATIONS must be about our most important Liberation Imperative and that's a Liberation Education. That starts with valuing and centering our education K-12 on up around the Black ACADEMY -- i.e. Black Centered, Black Created schools. My reasoning:
- No People Can Expect The Best Out Of Their Youth When They Leave It To Others To Educate Them.
Not only that but the cultural messages that get passed down from generation-to-generation over and above coursework can hardly be communicated and, most importantly, reinforced to the point of understanding without the constant reinforcement in the most formative learning enviroment - the K-12 school experience.
So, REPARATIONS as properly restorative will be about establishing Black-centered schools, first and foremost. Now that implicates a process. In order to have schools that teach a Liberation Education you have to have teachers who are trained in "Liberation". So, the first order of Reparations geared towards Education would be to raise up a class of Liberation Teachers. In the meantime, certain select cities with Black-centered/African-centered schools can be targeted, fortified and expanded by Reparations funds.
There are a number of Black-centered Charter Schools that should be replicated, used as models... Incentives to teachers today, of course, can be made for them to contribute regardless to their race. Nevertheless, the curriculum at these schools will be strictly our decision.
More on the Black Academy...
Reparations and Liberation demands that we ensure that all our people have meaningful skills. As such, all manner of skills should be taught. I propose a talent identification process where in the K-12 process each student comes away with a functional skill or trade.
Reparations Project, is essentially and should be (considering what we are owed) a long-term, as in length of time (and money) REBUILDING PROCESS. Just as we have to raise up a new generation of Teachers, we also have to raise up a new generation of Builders. So construction trades, etc. will be part of the K-12 Black Academy...
This is a crucial issues. Special efforts to avert potential and actual Felon and other recidivism must be made. The REPARATIONS Rebuilding Project must also deal with addiction treatment and job/skill training. But given the nature of things, we must have a defined role or place for our Felons to not only make a living (by working) but also contribute to the Rebuilding Project. So, at the very least, our brothers and sisters who just got out of jail must have a job/role waiting for them went they get out or the proper training for a job they can do to support our efforts. That could be in Construction or whatever as we build more and more of our own institutions which requires new buildings...
This will be an incomplete one from me because I won't pretend to be as informed enough to do this justice. But, at the very least, Black Banking institutions must be established and only they can hold REPARATIONS funds -- i.e. all such "money" goes through them. As such, these Liberation or Reparations BANKS will be able to finance low interest housing and personal loans that no other Bank can match, yet, obviously these loans over the during of the Reparations process will only be for Blacks. These banks can then, also, function as other banks do and lend to whom they will (or can with competitive rates) but the special rates and loans from Reparations will be for Blacks ONLY. (So if a Black person wants to bank elsewhere, that's fine. But via Reparations these Black banks will have the competitive edge and, by definition, this recycles or helps our money make money via interest.)
Also, our talent and career skill focused Black Academies will also teach all manner of money management and business principles. The purpose there is to Raise Up A Class/Generation of both entrepreneurs and a general Black public with more money Knowledge k-12 to better prepare them and perpetuate us and our Reparations.
(MORE TO COME)