The Case for Reparations | Bigger Than Five

As the calls for racial justice get louder throughout the world, is it time for colonial powers and slave trading countries to atone for their sins by paying reparations?

Mobilized since the death of George Floyd, a black man killed by a white police officer in the US, the world has witnessed a reawakening over systemic racism.

Growing demands for racial justice have renewed the debate about apologies and reparations by former colonial powers and slave-trading countries to make amends for their crimes and past injustices.

Many countries are now grappling with their history. In France, protesters are calling for an end to discrimination against nonwhite descendants from former colonies. In the US, symbols of slavery and colonialism have been brought down, from statues of Confederate leaders to colonizer Christopher Columbus. The name of a former transit point for the transnational slave trade on Senegal's Goree Island, was changed from Europe Square to Freedom and Human Dignity Square. In Nigeria, Lagos State Assembly voted to rename all sites that still bear the names of colonial masters.

But this racial reckoning is evolving into a debate over what true reconciliation looks like. So are former colonial powers and slave-trading countries ready and willing to pay?

Guests:

Andrew Young
Former US Ambassador to the United Nations

Shirley Weber
California Assemblymember for District 79

Thomas Piketty
Economist, Paris School of Economics

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[dorian]

"Haiti was forced to pay a crippling debt to France" AND AMERICA!!!!

[arnavchakraborty]

Turkey should definitely pay reparation to Armenian, Assyrians, Greeks, for killing and torturing them

[HSRA-hggc]

Neither side of my family even lived in the US during slavery.
Nobody alive now, was either a slave or slave owner.

[blessedone]

He act like he was scared to say what he wanted to say smh

[AkhWu]

This elder is on some crazy stuff pay what you owe and rewrite your wrongs period for all African Americans period

[ricardoguanipa]

Of course they deserve reparations, the same as Haiti and also The Eastern European nation's that were "Tax Farms" for the Ottoman Empire hundreds of years...
Fair is fair

[bashkimselaci]

As always Excellent reporting from Ghida Fakhry at TRT.

[nomoreliesplease_tv]

Hundreds of examples exist of countries that chose not to victimize themselves for centuries or blame others for everything. Haiti’s problems must be resolved from within.

No one can help a country that thrives on promoting misery and blaming everyone for racism without seeking internal change.

Haiti can and must unite and rise again. Then it can ask for help—not blame to ask for help.

Haiti’s failure to progress as a nation. (And the U.N.’s failure to help them)

[AgentFalcon]

Waiting for the Turks to pay reparations to all the Balkans, Armenians Assyrians and Kurds

[MaelPlaguecrow]

Speaking of, when are the Armenians going to get some reparations, TRT?

[PB-nndh]

Well... you walk into the shop and shopkeeper sells a ware that is available for sale but is morally questionable, but it is available for sale so you purchase it. Few years later the product is banned. Now those people who bought the product has to pay reparations for the fact that product is now illegal. Shouldn't it be other way round, shouldn't the shopkeeper pay the reparations?

[joecrachemontange]

I'm acadian and i want reparations from the british.

[jerrytaylor]

How does the power structure atone for the sins of their fore fathers when they have no moral compass to guide them? Power concedes nothing without an equal or greater power confrontation which forces the power structure to compromise.

[craigbigelow]

Everybody pays the same price rent Reverend! Landlord's don't discriminate now !

[operator]

I empathize with the struggle but this is not the way to fix things nor should it be. Therefor i remain opposed.

[craigbigelow]

What about the colonial banking industry Al Sharpton you a fan?

[craigbigelow]

I'd file bankruptcy before is pay ya a dime! And in the overall picture, we'd ALL be better off for it!😃👍