In response to Tuesday’s ad in the Emerald by David Horowitz regarding reparations, the Survival Center would like to say a few things. First of all, the Survival Center is dedicated to ending all forms of oppression, whether it be racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, slavery, etc., and as such, opposes Horowitz’s beliefs.
Whereas slavery is among the cruelest injustices ever perpetrated by anyone upon another, and;
Whereas the industrial base in the United States was created through slave labor, and whereas African-Americans have received little or no benefit from this industry, and;
Whereas this industry is responsible in whole or in part for the relative economic prosperity of the United States, and;
Whereas slavery in the United States, as an institution, was made possible by the policies of the U.S. government and the consent of those benefiting from it, and;
Whereas the U.S. government still systematically discriminates against African-Americans through racial profiling by police and disproportionate imprisonment, and;
Whereas racism in the United States against African-Americans still exists, in no small part due to the ideas fostered about African-Americans by those in power, who profited from their subjugation and wished to create a social mechanism to maintain that subjugation, and;
Whereas the African-American community should be given the freedom to decide its own destiny, and it should have the resources to make those decisions that would better their community — resources that their forebears worked hard to produce under the most exploitative of conditions, and;
Whereas a disproportionate amount of African-Americans live in poverty and are denied many opportunities for advancement as a result of the vicious cycle poverty creates, which could in many cases be traced back to times of slavery;
Be it resolved that the Survival Center opposes the ideas presented in Horowitz’s ad. There can be no equality in this country while any segment of its population is demonized and oppressed. While a mere monetary allocation cannot summarily end racism in U.S. society, the issue is best dealt with through a true dialogue. The ideology Horowitz puts forth serves only to gloss over history in a way that demonizes those who demand accountability.