This past Saturday night, the Black Student Union held its first event of the year with a discussion on reparations for slavery that attracted about 50 students.
The issue will be discussed at length on campus this year, leading up to a planned reparations conference this spring organized by the Princeton Justice Project.
Early in the discussion, one of the group leaders asked those present to indicate by a show of hands whether they favored reparations for slavery. About two-thirds of the group raised their hands, while several students called out to ask what was meant by reparations.
A wide range of views were expressed, with students — the overwhelming majority of whom were African American — raising difficult questions.
The group asked how the needs of African Americans through welfare payments and other social programs has influenced the issue, discussed the validity of a verbal apology without any monetary compensation as reparations and pondered who would pay and who would receive money if it were to be exchanged.
There was also a discussion of the extent to which outside forces — including white racism and the vestiges of slavery — are responsible for the problems currently facing the African-American community. Some students felt all or nearly all of the community's current problems can be traced to outside forces, while others said some of the problems are internal to the community.
Several questioned whether the African-American community as a whole is investing heavily enough in education.
Issues of accountability were perhaps the most difficult area confronted in the discussion.
"People who came [after the end of slavery] should get it, and whites who came late should pay it," BSU projects chair Stephen Caldwell '04 said, explaining that even after slavery itself ended, whites benefited and blacks suffered from its lingering effects.
One student from Africa said she considers reparations a worldwide issue and hopes that present-day Africans who suffer as a result of slavery's legacy will benefit.
"Personally, I'm not looking for money," said Joe Robinson '04 of the Princeton Justice Project, argued that it would not be feasible to organize a monetary transfer.
"People who have looked deeply into the issue tend to look past [the question of who would get what payments]," he added. "I'm looking for institutional change."
But another student said institutional change is a civil rights issue and should not count as reparations.
One student argued that the movement is "anti-American," because it opposes racist tendencies inherent in American society.
Some students expressed concern about the hostile approach being taken by those who advocate reparations.
"Our voices need to be heard — the questioning voices," said Zoelene Hill '04, BSU finance chair.
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