A Broad Three-Point Reparations Program for US Afrodescendants versus CARICOM's 10-Point Program

Abstract

US Afrodescendants should welcome the Caribbean Community of Nations’ (CARICOM) decision to play the role of David versus Goliath in demanding reparations from former European colonialist powers. However, inherent characteristics that define CARICOM Afrodescendants are quite different from those that define US Afrodescendants. Consequently, US Afrodescendants should eschew CARICOM’s 10-point reparations program in favor of developing a reparations program of our own. In this article, we highlight key differences between CARICOM and US Afrodescendants, and we argue for a reparations program for US Afrodescendants that has nation formation as its central tenet. We suggest that a US Afrodescendant reparations program should reflect three broad points: Land, resources, and international support. While CARICOM’s and US Afrodescendants’ reparations programs should be dissimilar, when realized, both programs can produce similar freedom fruits.