I N S I G H T N E W S I S A U D I T E D B Y T H E A L L I A N C E FO R A U D I T E D M E D I A TO P R O V I D E O U R A D V E R T I S E R PA R T N E R S W I T H T H E
Insight News
June 20, 20 2022 - June 26, 2022
Vol. 49 No. 25• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
JUNETEENTH FREEDOM DAY
Descendants of the enslaved owed US$20 trillion By Thomas Craemer Associate Professor Public Policy, University of Connecticut The cost of slavery and its legacy of systemic racism to generations of Black Americans has been clear over the past year – seen in both the racial disparities of the pandemic and widespread protests over police brutality. Yet whenever calls for reparations are made – as they are again now – opponents counter that it would be unfair to saddle a debt on those not personally responsible. In the words of then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, speaking on Juneteenth – the day Black Americans celebrate as marking emancipation – in 2019, “I don’t think reparations for something that happened 150 years ago for whom none of us currently living are responsible is a good idea.” As a professor of public policy who has studied reparations, I acknowledge that the figures involved are large – I conservatively estimate the losses from unpaid wages and lost inheritances to Black descendants of the enslaved at around US$20 trillion in 2021 dollars. But what often gets forgotten by those who oppose reparations is that payouts for slavery have been made before – numerous times, in fact. And few at the time complained that it was
unfair to saddle generations of people with a debt for which they were not personally responsible. Don’t let yourself be misled. Understand issues with help from experts There is an important caveat in these cases of reparations though: The payments went to former slave owners and their descendants, not the enslaved or their legal heirs. Extorting Haiti A prominent example is the so-called “Haitian Independence Debt” that saddled revolutionary Haiti with reparation payments to former slave owners in France. Haitians had to pay for their independence. API/GammaRapho via Getty Images Haiti declared independence from France in 1804, but the former colonial power refused to acknowledge the fact for another 20 years. Then in 1825, King Charles X decreed that he would recognize independence, but at a cost. The price tag would be 150 million francs – more than 10 years of the Haitian government’s entire revenue. The money, the French said, was needed to compensate former slave owners for the loss of what was deemed their property. By 1883, Haiti had paid off some 90 million francs in reparations. But to finance such huge payments, Haiti had to borrow 166 million francs with the French banks Ternaux Grandolpe et Cie and Lafitte Rothschild Lapanonze. Loan interests and fees added to the
No guessing who in this 1864 depiction may have been compensated after slavery ended. API/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
overall sum owed to France. The payments ran for a total of 122 years from 1825 to 1947, with the money going to more than 7,900 former slave owners and their descendants in France. By the time the payments ended, none of the originally enslaved or enslavers were still alive. British ‘reparations’ French slave owners weren’t the only ones to receive payment for lost revenue, their British counterparts did too – but this time from their own government. The British government paid reparations totaling £20 million
(equivalent to some £300 billion in 2018) to slave owners when it abolished slavery in 1833. Banking magnates Nathan Mayer Rothschild and his brother-in-law Moses Montefiore arranged for a loan to the government of $15 million to cover the vast sum – which represented almost half of the U.K. governent’s annual expenditure. The U.K. serviced those loans for 182 years from 1833 to 2015. The authors of the British reparations program saddled many generations of British people with a reparations
debt for which they were not personally responsible. Paying for freedom In the United States, reparations to slave owners in Washington, D.C., were paid at the height of the Civil War. On April 16, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the “Act for the Release of certain Persons held to Service or Labor within the District of Columbia” into law. It gave former slave owners $300 per enslaved person set free. More than 3,100 enslaved people saw their freedom paid for in this way, for a total cost in
excess of $930,000 – almost $25 million in today’s money. In contrast, the formerly enslaved received nothing if they decided to stay in the United States. The act provided for an emigration incentive of $100 – around $2,683 in 2021 dollars – if the former enslaved agreed to permanently leave the United States.2 Similar examples of reparations going to individual slave owners can be found in the records of countries including Denmark, the Netherlands and
REPARATIONS
2
Page 2 • June 20, 2022 - June 26, 2022 • Insight News
Cover From 1 Sweden, as well as Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, Venezuela, Peru and Brazil. The French government even set an example on how the government can conduct genealogical research to determine eligible recipients. It compiled a massive six-volume compendium in 1828, listing some 7,900 original slave owners in Saint Domingue and their French descendants. Reparations, this time the other way round … Blessed with detailed U.S. Census records and local archives, I believe the government could do the same for the Black descendants of enslaved Americans. In the 1860 census, the last one before the Civil War, the government counted 3,853,760 enslaved people in the United States. Their direct descendants live among close to 50 million Black residents in the United States today. Using historic census records to estimate the number of man-, woman-, and childhours available to slave owners from 1776 to 1860, I estimated how much money the enslaved lost considering the meager wages for unskilled labor at the time, which ranged from 2 cents in 1790 to 8 cents in 1860. At a very moderate interest rate of 3%, I arrived at an estimate of $20.3 trillion in 2021 dollars for the total losses to Black descendants of enslaved Americans living today. It is a huge sum – roughly one year’s worth of the U.S.‘s GDP – but a figure that would comfortably close the racial wealth gap. The difference is, in contrast to historical precedents, this time the benefits would go to the Black descendants of the
insightnews.com
enslaved, not to enslavers and their offspring. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Thomas Craemer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Over 100,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletter to understand the world. Sign up today.
CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH. CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH. CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH. CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH. CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH. CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH. CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH
BLACK HISTORY IS AMERICAN HISTORY.
VOTE DON SAMUELS ON AUGUST 9. CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH. CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH. CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH. CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH. CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH. CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH. CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH CELEBRATE J PAID FOR BY NEIGHBORS FOR SAMUELS
insightnews.com
Insight News • June 20, 2022 - June 26, 2022 • Page 3
Insight News I N S I G H T N E W S I S A U D I T E D B Y T H E A L L I A N C E FO R A U D I T E D M E D I A TO P R O V I D E O U R A D V E R T I S E R PA R T N E R S W I T H T H E
June 20, 20 2022 - June 26, 2022
Vol. 49 No. 25• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Challenging Ilhan Omar for CD 5 Congressional seat
Samuels says CD5 voters want a different approach Polling indicating 44% of likely Democratic primary voters in Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District support Rep. Ilhan Omar’s bid for re-election is giving a lift to opponent Don Samuels’ campaign to unseat Omar, Samuels said in a statement to the press last Tuesday. “This poll confirms what we’re hearing everyday as we talk to residents of the Fifth District,” said Samuels. “People desire a different approach to leadership–one that sees our elected officials working together to bring about progress on the issues our state, our region, and our nation are facing, whether it’s making our neighborhoods safer, codifying the protections of Roe v. Wade, or safeguarding our democracy.” According to the Victoria Research report, Omar’s popularity trails behind other local Democratic leaders by a margin of more than 25%, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Gov. Tim Walz. Samuels’ clarified his position on abortion rights. “For my entire adult life, I have had an unwavering insistence on a woman’s right to choose and to have access to safe, affordable, and legal abortions.” Samuels said his position
Reflections on Fathers Day Sharing Our Stories
By: W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor
Don Samuels
Ilhan Omer
on abortion access aligns with his support for other key Democratic policies such as voting rights, gun control, and climate change. Labor leader Jason George of International Union of Operating Engineers said “Local 49 backs candidates who support critical investments in our nation’s infrastructure. Rep. Omar’s vote against the president’s infrastructure bill has been a notable disappointment to our
members.” A native of Kingston, Jamaica, in 1970, Samuels came to the United States to go to school at New York’s Pratt Institute. He began a career designing toys. Samuels is married to Sondra Hollinger-Samuels. They live in the Jordan neighborhood in North Minneapolis. He said after a bullet went through their soon to be born daughter’s bedroom window, they began
organizing their neighbors, advocating for policy changes and additional resources to improve community safety. Samuels was elected to and served three terms representing Ward 5 on the Minneapolis City Council. He served one term on the Minneapolis Public School Board.
I remember well how my father felt when it came to Father’s Day. On Mother’s Day, everyone goes all out with flowers, tributes, dinners, appreciation; granted, this is well deserved. When it comes to Father’s Day…not so much. On TV shows and in real life, he commented on how Black men are often underrated. And we can count on the media to paint a negative portrait of Black fathers, despite the evidence to the contrary. He loved to read, which influenced my love of reading and eventually writing. Fishing trips were special times for us. Being a military officer, it was hard for him to be away from us when he had an assignment, but necessary. He could get his point across with authority and never raise his
voice. He commanded respect wherever he went; at work, where he was the only Black officer on the base for years, he had the respect of generals. He and Ma instilled in me the values I have today. I even have his offbeat sense of humor. Of course, when I was a teenager/young adult I thought I knew everything, especially during the ‘60s and early ‘70s. Later on came the realization that he was a lot smarter than I gave him credit for. During the times when we didn’t get along or see eye to eye, it was because we were so much alike. When I became a father, he was the one I turned to for those long, deep conversations as I navigated my way along my own path of fatherhood. I recall seeing a poster in a nonprofit here that said, “Boys make babies. Men raise their own and someone else’s.” Dad would heartily agree. And whenever his grandson was in the room, Dad would light up and his eyes would twinkle. He passed away 10 years ago, but as he and I grew older I wanted to make sure
FATHERS DAY 4
That Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock is in a close race with Herschel Walker is no laughing matter Mandel Ngan - Getty Images
William Barr and Donald Trump By Chuck Hobbs Columnist I’ve been watching the Georgia Senate race closely not just because Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) is my Morehouse Brother who graduated a couple of years before I did in the 90’s, but because he is an extremely intelligent and hardworking public servant who has represented his home state with fervor and class since winning the 2020 special election. I don’t know Herschel Walker personally, and I am sure that he has a redeeming quality in something other than having run a football at the University of Georgia 40 years ago— but I’m hard pressed to find anything about him that would make him an effective member of the U.S. Senate. Seriously, if you have watched or listened to Walker on the stump, then you know that the man really struggles to communicate. I find it odd that a 60-year-old man would aspire to a position that requires verbal and written communications skills when he knows that he struggles to string together coherent compound and complex sentences? Walker has also shown
Former Attorney General Bill Barr Jan 6 testimony:
President Donald Trump tried to alter 2020 election results By Chuck Hobbs Columnist
Sen. Warnock that he has no interest in the issues; when asked a few weeks ago to share his thoughts on gun control after the Uvalde massacre that saw 19 children and two adults killed by a lone gunman, I almost choked on my glass of water when I heard him say, “what I like to do is see it and ‘everythang’ and stuff…” See what, and “everythang,” Herschel? What else is there to see that wasn’t visible on every news channel in America? Seriously, does America
Sen. Herschel
need another Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala), the former Auburn football coach who is the living embodiment of a dumb jock, in the Senate? Of course it doesn’t, but the latest polls seem to suggest that if Democrats don’t show up to the polls on a mission come November, that Walker will have six years to bow, grin, vote like his handlers tell him, and buck dance to the delight of his political masters. If you need a good laugh before bed,
check out this video of “Brotha Herschel” proving that all Black folks don’t have rhythm (clip from Roland Martin’s show): Now, some will read today’s post and conclude, “Hobbs, you’re being really mean to Herschel Walker just because he is a conservative.” I assure you that such is not the case, as I am friends with several Black Republicans who find Walker’s ignorance disturbing—even if they can’t come out publicly and admit it. 1
During the January 6th Committee hearings in Congress, the deposition testimony of former Attorney General Bill Barr—one of former President Donald Trump’s most loyal aides during his tenure—provided more damning evidence of the 45th president’s brazen attempt to alter the legitimate results of the 2020 election. The most pertinent part of General Barr’s testimony reads as follows: “When I walked in (December of 2020), sat down, (Trump) went off on a monologue saying that there was now definitive evidence involving fraud through the Dominion machines and a report had been prepared by a
very reputable cyber-security firm which he identified as Allied Security Operations Group and he held up the report. And then he asked that a copy of it be made for me. And while a copy was being made, he said, ‘you know, this is absolute proof that the Dominion Machines were rigged. The report means that I’m going to have a second term...And then he gave me a copy of the report, and as he talked more and more about it, I sat there flipping through the report and looking through it. And to be frank, it looked very amateurish to me. It didn’t have the credentials of the people involved but I didn’t see any real qualifications. And the statements were made very conclusory, like, ‘these machines were designed to engage in fraud’ or something to that effect. But I didn’t see any supporting information for it.
JAN 6TH 4
Juneteenth Celebration PAGE 7
Page 4 • June 20, 2022 - June 26, 2022 • Insight News
insightnews.com
Our nation has a problem with guns and it needs to be fixed By Jeffrey L. Boney Houston Forward Times By Jeffrey L. Boney Houston Forward Times Darkness and despair have us trapped and we have lost our way. Good, which was once the standard, has turned into bad. We are making bad decisions and they have resulted in bad outcomes. Our once proud America is being looked at with critical eyes. Those living in other countries are wondering what is going on in the United States of America. Cities across this great land of ours are besieged by crime and punishment. Every day has become a day of death for many of our brothers and sisters, both Black and White. We leave our homes with good intentions, yet sadly we may not return to them. I am learning quickly that while we plan our days, those plans may not be good enough to keep us alive. We are in a tangled web of chaos and confusion. We are enemies to ourselves. The blame for our current situation begins with us.
Fathers Day From 3 he knew how much he was valued, to give him his flowers while he was here, as did my
Jan 6 Hearings From 3 And I was somewhat demoralized because I thought, ‘boy, if (Trump) really believes this stuff, he has, you know, lost contact with, he’s become detached from reality, if he really believes this stuff. ‘On the other hand, when I went into
Do we want to get better? I think we do. The conversations going on suggest we want to get better. We want a new normal and to not experience new shootings and killings. The shootings, whether they were in Buffalo, Uvalde, Tulsa, near Ames, or Philadelphia, all have the same result. People are dead and families are broken into pieces. This current path is leading us down a dead-end street. We need stricter gun laws immediately. The time to act is now. It is the “doing of the talking” which is an expression that I coined many years ago. The laws that we have on the books need to be amended and changed. How can a newly minted 18-year-old young man go into a store and buy assault weapons with literally no questions asked? That is what happened in Uvalde, Texas, when Salvador Ramos purchased guns and ammunition. Guns now play a major role in how we live our lives. For example, we are more conscious than ever before about being in crowds.
In some communities, going to get gas, or going to the grocery store, have become challenging. We go, but we are afraid. In the not-too-distant past, we gave no thought to attending church or going to graduations. Going to our favorite store was a no-brainer. Now there are shootings and killings taking place at them. We have convened, and
re-convened, to discuss gun violence, yet not much has changed. Arguably, there are more deaths taking place by guns now. Sadly, we are living this frightening and fragile reality. While discussions are good, changing laws is better. That, in my opinion, must be the steps we take in order to curb gun violence. Laws must
change and we the people must be the driving force behind this movement. Some critics have said that the House and the Senate are on different pages when it comes to gun control. I agree with the critics. For example, the House would close what is called the “Charleston loophole.” It would increase the amount of time from
brother and sister. He and my uncles represented the positive role models of strong, loving Black men, men who loved their families and made valuable contributions to the community. In a spiritual walk, he and my
uncles were members of the Cantino Choir at St. Peter’s AME. My son is 21 now, and the lessons Dad taught me I have retained in raising him while incorporating some of
my own. He’s growing into a fine young man, who knows he can talk to me in important matters, and knows he is loved unconditionally as he sets out on the course of his life. Being a father, being
a parent period, is the toughest job there is. It never stops, and we can’t do it without God. That being said, I acknowledge the Black fathers here in the community for the lifetime commitment you made, the
positive difference you make in the lives of your children, and the love you have for them.
him how crazy some of these allegations were, there was never an indication of interest in what the actual facts were...My opinion then, and my opinion now, is that the election was not stolen by fraud.” Now, anyone who has practiced law for any period of time can tell you that for the right price, an expert can be found who may be willing to write reports (or sign affidavits) that
exclaim that the Sun revolves around the Earth...which is flat—not round…and that Earth is THE center of the known universe. The problem is that if such a horrifically flawed expert opinion was ever submitted to a court of law, a learned judge (or judicial panel) would review— and reject—the opinion as not being based in scientific fact. The same held true for the Trump legal team that relied on the “expert” testimony that Barr chides above, one that fueled many of the 62 lawsuits that Trump’s lawyers filed in courts across America—to the tune of 61 losses! In fact, the one lawsuit that Team Trump won, up in Pennsylvania, was merely a question of procedure regarding absentee ballots in the Keystone State—not the dialectical mendacity that all of the Dominion voting machines across America were rigged to elect Joe Biden. It remains a sad event to me that there are millions of Americans who still believe Trump’s lies—lies that make ZERO logical sense when considering Republican congressional gains in districts or states where Trump lost to Biden! Meaning, if those machines were rigged for the Democratic Party, logic would hold that Democrats in down ballot races should have defeated their Republican challengers, too! What’s even sadder, albeit a tad humorous, is that the Trump faithful poured nearly
into Trump’s coffers to “stop the steal” when, the evidence further shows that their money sure didn’t go into any legitimate legal claims filed by the very man who was actually trying to steal the election—Mr. Trump! But, as I wrote on Facebook earlier today, “grifters gon’ grift,” and there is a reason that, from time to time, cult figures arise that capture the imaginations of those looking for someone who aligns with their views—or assuages their deepest insecurities.
Convention: a white male dominated society where white women knew their subservient places, Blacks were seen and not heard, Christianity was the de facto state religion, while gays and lesbians stayed staid in their closets. While I fully understand the fears that Trump deftly exploits among his loyal followers, I remain curious as to: 1. Why did seemingly intelligent professionals, like Attorney General Bill Barr, sit silent for so long? Why did it take a subpoena—and the specter of penalty of perjury—for Barr to tell the blatantly obvious truth that most intelligent Americans, including some who voted for Trump, understood as soon as the final tally showed, which is that Joe Biden had won fair and square? 2. What is it about Trump that inspires so much loyalty from those who opened their pockets and poured that $250 million into his “legal fight” in December of 2020—even though the bulk of Trump’s inner circle, including his daughter and closest aide, Ivanka, knew that there was no fraud—and no pathway to victory? 3. What will the future of America hold if an incumbent president can chuck the truth to the wind and declare himself the victor despite ample evidence of his defeat? Again, if President Joe Biden were to lose in 2024 and pull the same foolishness, I would join the chorus of voices calling for him to adhere to the peaceful transition of power and to exit the Oval Office—one that’s more important than the man or woman who occupies the big chair behind the big desk. 4. At the end of jury instructions in Florida, the
presiding judge always reminds the jury panel that “for more than two centuries, we have lived by the Constitution and the law.” Well, what happens when “we” no longer agree to live by that Constitution, or make the law up on a whim, such as Trump’s “I won” declarations in 2020—despite overwhelming evidence of his sound defeat? Indeed, these questions require each of us to determine what are our universal truths— and to square those truths against the selfish individual lies of any would be tyrant. Chuck Hobbs is a freelance journalist who won the 2010 Florida Bar Media Award and has been twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary.
INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com
Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests. Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Culture and Education Editor Dr. Irma McClaurin, PhD. Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Columnist Brenda Lyle-Gray Book Review Editor W.D. Foster-Graham Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Content & Production Manager Sunny Thongthi Yang Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed
Intern Kelvin Kuria Contributing Writers Maya Beecham Nadvia Davis Fred Easter Abeni Hill Inell Rosario Latisha Townsend Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography V. Rivera Garcia Uchechukwu Iroegbu Rebecca Rabb Lou Michaels Artist Donald Walker Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis. 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)
Buffalo, NY shooting victims
Whereas Reagan used charm to lie about the threats that Black drug dealers, nonWASP immigrants, and “welfare queens” posed to America, Trump invoked those same bigoted tropes—while using angry rhetoric to tap into the resentment that many of his white followers (and a few of the Black ones who don’t seem to know they are Black, like Herschel Walker) feel towards racial minorities, immigrants from Mexico and Islamic nations, as well as gender and sexual orientation politics that cut against their view of what America should be. A view, they contend, that America should be as its Founding Fathers created during the 1787 Constitutional
Hours: Tues-Sat 10am-5pm
Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapo-
5742 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55419
Receptionist Lue B. Lampley
this, and would, you know, tell
Then President Ronald Reagan and businessman Donald Trump circa ‘87. Since announcing his candidacy for president back in 2015, Trump, if nothing else, has understood human frailty —and the power of celebrity— and used both quite effectively to project himself into a status among conservatives that rivals, if not exceeds, that of former President Ronald Reagan.
npr photo
Book Online @royaltyloungebarbershop
250 million of their dollars right
3 business days to 10 business days “that a federal firearms licensee must wait to receive a completed background check prior to transferring a firearm to a licensed person.” This statement comes from the legislation. The legislation is HR 1446, and it is backed by Democratic representative James Clyburn of South Carolina. This bill stems from the tragedy that killed nine people at a Black church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015. The Senate will now take up the matter in their legislative session. We will see what happens. President Biden, on last week in an address to the nation said, “If we can’t ban assault weapons then we should raise the age to purchase them from 18 to 21.” He added, “Over the past two decades, more school-aged children have died from guns than on-duty police officers and active-duty military combined.” According to the Washington Post, there have been over 200 mass shootings in America this year. That number should scare all of us.
insightnews.com
Insight News • June 20, 2022 - June 26, 2022 • Page 5
The greatest heist in history
When France extorted Haiti la Question Haïtienne.’ Forced to borrow 30 million francs from French banks to make the first two payments, it was hardly a surprise to anyone when Haiti defaulted soon thereafter. Still, the new French king sent another expedition in 1838 with 12 warships to force the Haitian president’s hand. The 1838 revision, inaccurately labeled “Traité d’Amitié” – or “Treaty of Friendship” – reduced the outstanding amount owed to 60 million francs, but the Haitian government was once again ordered to take out crushing loans to pay the balance.
Originally Published on The Conversation: June 30, 2020 Updated: July 9, 2021
By Marlene Daut Professor of African Diaspora Studies, University of Virginia Marlene Daut does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointme
Much of the reparations debate has revolved around whether the United States and the United Kingdom should finally compensate some of their citizens for the economic and social costs of slavery that still linger today. But to me, there’s never been a more clear-cut case for reparations than that of Haiti. I’m a specialist on colonialism and slavery, and what France did to the Haitian people after the Haitian Revolution is a particularly notorious examples of colonial theft. France instituted slavery on the island in the 17th century, but, in the late 18th century, the enslaved population rebelled and eventually declared independence. Yet, somehow, in the 19th century, the thinking went that the former enslavers of the Haitian people needed to be compensated, rather than the other way around. Just as the legacy of slavery in the United States has created a gross economic disparity between Black and white Americans, the tax on its freedom that France forced Haiti to pay – referred to as an “indemnity” at the time – severely damaged the newly independent country’s ability to prosper. The cost of independence Haiti officially declared its independence from France in 1804. In October 1806, the country was split into two, with Alexandre Pétion ruling in the south and Henry Christophe ruling in the north. Despite the fact that both of Haiti’s rulers were veterans of the Haitian Revolution, the French had never quite given up on reconquering their former colony. In 1814 King Louis XVIII, who had helped overthrow Napoléon earlier that year, sent three commissioners to Haiti to assess the willingness of the country’s rulers to surrender. Christophe, having
A portrait of Alexandre Pétion. Alfred Nemours Archive of Haitian History, University of Puerto Rico made himself a king in 1811, remained obstinate in the face of France’s exposed plan to bring back slavery. Threatening war, the most prominent member of Christophe’s cabinet, Baron de Vastey, insisted,“ Our independence will be guaranteed by the tips of our bayonets!” In contrast, Pétion, the ruler of the south, was willing to negotiate, hoping that the country might be able to pay France for recognition of its independence. In 1803, Napoléon had sold Louisiana to the United States for US$15 million. Using this number as his compass, Pétion proposed paying the same amount. Unwilling to compromise with those he viewed as “runaway slaves,” Louis XVIII rejected the offer. Pétion died suddenly in 1818, but Jean-Pierre Boyer, his successor, kept up the negotiations. Talks, however, continued to stall due to Christophe’s stubborn opposition. “Any indemnification of the ex-colonists,” Christophe’s government stated, was “inadmissible.” Once Christophe died in October 1820, Boyer was able to reunify the two sides of the country. However, even with the obstacle of Christophe gone, Boyer repeatedly failed to successfully negotiate France’s recognition of independence. Determined to gain at least suzerainty over the island – which would have made Haiti a protectorate of France – Louis XVIII’s successor, Charles X,
A facsimile of the bank note for the 30 million francs that Haiti borrowed from a French bank. Lepelletier de Saint-Remy, ‘Étude Et Solution Nouvelle de la Question Haïtienne.’
rebuked the two commissioners Boyer sent to Paris in 1824 to try to negotiate an indemnity in exchange for recognition. On April 17, 1825, the French king suddenly changed his mind. He issued a decree stating France would recognize Haitian independence but only at the price of 150 million francs – or around 10 times the amount the U.S. had paid for the Louisiana territory. The sum was meant to compensate the French colonists for their lost revenues from slavery. Baron de Mackau, whom Charles X sent to deliver the ordinance, arrived in Haiti in July, accompanied by a squadron of 14 brigs of war carrying more than 500 cannons. Rejection of the ordinance almost certainly meant war. This was not diplomacy. It was extortion. With the threat of violence looming, on July 11, 1825, Boyer signed the fatal document, which stated, “The present inhabitants of the French part of St. Domingue shall pay … in five equal installments … the sum of 150,000,000 francs, destined to indemnify the former colonists.” French prosperity built on Haitian poverty Newspaper articles from the period reveal that the French king knew the Haitian government was hardly capable of making these payments, as the total was more than 10 times Haiti’s annual budget. The rest of the world seemed to agree that the amount was absurd. One British journalist noted that the “enormous price” constituted a “sum which few states in Europe could bear to sacrifice.” A facsimile of the bank note for the 30 million francs that Haiti borrowed from a French bank. Lepelletier de Saint-Remy, ‘Étude Et Solution Nouvelle de
Although the colonists claimed that the indemnity would only cover one-twelfth the value of their lost properties, including the people they claimed as their slaves, the total amount of 90 million francs was actually five times France’s annual budget. The Haitian people suffered the brunt of the consequences of France’s theft. Boyer levied draconian taxes in order to pay back the loans. And while Christophe had been busy developing a national school system during his reign, under Boyer, and all subsequent
presidents, such projects had to be put on hold. Moreover, researchers have found that the independence debt and the resulting drain on the Haitian treasury were directly responsible not only for the underfunding of education in 20th-century Haiti, but also lack of health care and the country’s inability to develop public infrastructure. Contemporary assessments, furthermore, reveal that with the interest from all the loans, which were not completely paid off until 1947, Haitians ended
REPARATIONS 6
"Promoting the well-being and the emotional spiritual liberation of children ofAfrican descent."
African American Child Wellness Institute
''Wearing a mask won't kill you.. ...but COVID-19 can.''
African American Child Wellness Institute (AACWI) is a nonprofit organization established in 2009 by Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya as a 50 I c 3 and Rule 29 mental health agency. The mission of AACWI is to promote the psychological and spiritual liberation of children of African Descent and their families by providing culturally specific mental health services and by developing access to culture-based, holistic wellness resources, research and practices. We specialize in providing services that address trauma and exposure to violence using evidence-based strategies within the context of an African-Centered Wellness Model.
Page 6 • June 20, 2022 - June 26, 2022 • Insight News
insightnews.com
Insight 2 Health
No, Latinos don’t actually have less heart disease : a new large study refutes the longstanding ‘Latino paradox’ By Olveen Carrasquillo Professor of Medicine and Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Latinos may have higher rates of heart disease than previously thought, refuting a well-accepted idea known as the “Latino paradox,” according to a new study that I was involved in. The crux of the Latino paradox is as follows: A broad body of research shows that Latinos have higher rates of diabetes, obesity and uncontrolled blood pressure and cholesterol levels than non-Hispanic white people. So naturally, it would follow that Latino people should also have higher levels of cardiovascular disease. But for the past 30 years, a wide body of studies has found the opposite: Despite greater risk factors for heart disease, Latinos have lower mortality from rates of heart disease than non-Latino people. We found, however, that both Latino men and women have significantly higher rates of
Haiti From 5 up paying more than twice the value of the colonists’ claims. Recognizing the gravity of this scandal, French economist Thomas Piketty acknowledged that France should repay at least $28 billion to Haiti in restitution. A debt that’s both moral and material Former French presidents,
heart disease than non-Hispanic whites. In fact, for men we found rates of heart disease that were even slightly higher than among Black people, a group with the highest rates of heart disease. We found that 9.2% of Latinos had a diagnosis of heart disease, compared with 8.1% among Black people and 7.6% among non-Hispanic white men. To do the analysis, we used data from the All of Us research program, which seeks to enroll at least 1 million people from diverse backgrounds over the next few years. We examined medical record data from the more than 200,000 people who have already signed up for the program, including over 40,000 Latinos. Going into the study, we assumed that we would find evidence in support of the Latino paradox. Prior data on the paradox was based mostly on mortality records or self-reporting, both of which have inherent limitations. For example, without an autopsy, it is often hard to know for certain what led to a person’s death. People also may not be aware that they had heart disease,
especially if they have not seen a doctor in a long time. Instead, our work looked at medical records and examined diagnoses of heart disease as determined by a physician during health care visits. We think this is a novel approach, as it uses more robust data to examine this issue. Why it matters The widely accepted “Latino paradox” has been studied extensively. And until now, most studies have supported it, though none have found a concrete explanation for it. Medical and public health students are often taught about it as an unexplained phenomenon. But our study, using the largest research cohort of Latinos in the United States, seems to refute the paradox. The implications are critical because they suggest that like all groups, Latinos still need to take care of themselves by eating healthily, exercising regularly, watching their weight, avoiding smoking and getting regular check-ups. Those with diabetes, hypertension or cholesterol, need to make sure those conditions are well-controlled.
from Jacques Chirac, to Nicolas Sarkozy, to François Hollande, have a history of punishing, skirting or downplaying Haitian demands for recompense. In May 2015, when French President François Hollande became only France’s second head of state to visit Haiti, he admitted that his country needed to “settle the debt.” Later, realizing he had unwittingly provided fuel for the legal claims already prepared by
attorney Ira Kurzban on behalf of the Haitian people – former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide had demanded formal recompense in 2002 – Hollande clarified that he meant France’s debt was merely “moral.” To deny that the consequences of slavery were also material is to deny French history itself. France belatedly abolished slavery in 1848 in its remaining colonies of Martinique, Guadeloupe, Réunion and French Guyana, which are
These seemingly straightforward messages are the ones that doctors have been telling all of their patients for decades. Yet this study makes it clear that Latinos don’t get a free pass when it comes to heart disease and that they also need to follow health guidelines. And our study highlights the ongoing need for culturally tailored cardiovascular health programs for the Latino community. What is still unknown Although our study analyzed data from the largest existing
cohort of Latinos, we do not think ours is the definitive word on the topic. More research is needed, and we need to continue to think creatively about how to get at these questions. It is also important to keep in mind that Latino populations are not homogeneous. Latinos come from many different parts of Latin America, where diets, customs and lifestyles are all unique. For that reason, our team is interested in looking at health data focused on Latino subgroups, as well as
comparing U.S.-born Latinos with immigrants. We also hope to examine the Latino paradox when it comes to other conditions such as cancer, which research has also shown occurs less frequently among Latinos than other groups. That is another paradox that we need to reexamine. The article was originally published in 2019. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
still territories of France today. Afterwards, the French government demonstrated once again its understanding of slavery’s relationship to economics when it took it upon itself to financially compensate the former “owners” of enslaved people. The resulting racial wealth gap is no metaphor. In metropolitan France 14.1% of the population lives below the poverty line. In Martinique and Guadeloupe, in contrast, where more than 80% of the population is of African
descent, the poverty rates are 38% and 46%, respectively. The poverty rate in Haiti is even more dire at 59%. And whereas the median annual income of a French family is $31,112, it’s only $450 for a Haitian family. These discrepancies are the concrete consequence of stolen labor from generations of Africans and their descendants. And because the indemnity Haiti paid to France is the first and only time a formerly enslaved people were forced to compensate those who had once
enslaved them, Haiti should be at the center of the global movement for reparations.
Wings & A Prayer Wings to WYN (whatever you need)
To Protect Yourself and Others from Covid-19 If you feel sick...
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics
The African American Child Wellness Institute Cordially Invites you to Join us for our monthly Wings Vaccines Clinic Programs Wings & A Prayer (every 3rd Sunday) Wings to WYN (Every 2nd Wednesday)
CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS
GET TESTED
START WEARING A MASK
STAY HOME IF YOU TEST POSITIVE
WHEN: Every 2nd Wednesday from 12-4 p.m. WHERE: Harvest Best Academy 1300 Olson Memorial Hwy. MPLS, MN 55411 WHEN: Every 3rd Sunday from 11-3 p.m. WHERE: Proverbs Christian Fellowship Church 3210 Oliver Avenue N., MPLS, MN 55412
GET VACCINATED
For more information, visit northpointhealth.org/ coronavirus-updates
Scan this QR code for more vaccine information
This event is sponsored by: The African American Child Wellness Institute, Black Nurses Rock, Minnesota Dept. of Health, Minneapolis Health Department, Cultural Wellness Center, Hennepin County Health Dept., Kowalski’s Market, A Mother’s Love, Insight News & Proverbs Christian Fellowship Church.
insightnews.com
Insight News • June 20, 2022 - June 26, 2022 • Page 7
Juneteenth 2022
Juneteenth photos by Insight News photographer Lou Michaels
Juneteenth Jamaica Style – Pimento Jamaican Kitchen owner Tomme Beevas on the grill
Dr. Keisha Varma, Ph.D.- Minnesota African American Heritage Museum Quilting Project
Metro Transit Officer L. Mitchell, MN House Minority Leader Ryan Winkler, and community organizer, KB Brown
Jerome Treadwell and Kennadi Hurst
Civil War Union Troop reenactors at Phyllis Wheatley Community Center Official Juneteenth Celebration. (l-r) John Taylor, Clint Guerra, Miles Jewell and Arne Kind
At West Broadway celebration Lataya Crutchfield gets a makeover by face paint artist Lucy Rose
PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE Revered CountryRock Veterans
ST. PAUL & THE MINNEAPOLIS FUNK ALL-STARS Record Release for St. Paul Peterson
JUN 23
JUN 24
SAMARA JOY Velvety Jazz Vocal Phenom
BRANDY CLARK
JUN 25 • 6:30P
JUN 25 • 9P
MAX WEINBERG’S JUKEBOX Legendary E Street Band Drummer
JEFF PERRY’S SONIC DREAM Reimagined Pop Classics
JUN 26
JUN 28
TIERNEY SUTTON Sublime & Refined Vocals
10,000 MANIACS
JUN 29
JUL 1
MARCIA BALL Bayou Blues Piano Queen
JORDAN RUDESS Dream Theater Keyboard Star
JUL 5
JUL 6
BOOKER T. JONES American Soul Legend
DUSTBOWL REVIVAL Soul Brass Roots Rock
JUL 7
JUL 8
ADD A MEET & GREET
612.332.5299 dakotacooks.com
Enactor member of 1st MN Volunteer Infantry, Ellis Dossavi
The Art of the Storyteller Tour
Pristine Country Songwriting
feat. Mary Ramsey
Alt-Rock Cornerstone
1010 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN
Coventry Cowens, M.A.A.H.M, and volunteer Minnie Steele
Page 8 • June 20, 2022 - June 26, 2022 • Insight News
insightnews.com