Reparations is a word that has been tossed out a lot. What are reparations? Who should receive them? How much should everyone receive? It’s kinda like our government trying to decide about the pending stimulus package.

rep·a·ra·tion /ˌrepəˈrāSH(ə)n/ noun

1. the making of amends for a wrong one has done, by paying money to or otherwise helping those who have been wronged.

The first issue is that America has not acknowledged their wrong doing. Slavery is over and no reparations have been made. America has not acknowledged how descendants of slavery are still affected by this heinous institution let alone acknowledged how others have benefited from it. Before we can talk about reparations or restitution, we’ve got to own our past. We have to have the difficult conversations and then talk about leveling the playing field, that is the only way we can truly get our 40 acres and a mule.