Reparations....have we tried prayer?

As I read the perhaps thousandth email from my Reparations yahoo group I was moved to do something I've meant to do for so long...this blog is all about praying for reparations. As a reparations advocate I have written about the topic in various places, spoken to just about anyone who'd listen and have generally become disgusted with my country for allowing arguably the most far-reaching crime against humanity to remain without recompense.

After feeling like the kid in 'The Emperor's New Clothes' for way too long I realized I had not really prayed for God to bring about reparations for descendents of African slaves. So I started to do it personally and would like to encourage us all to take some time to reflect on the injustice and the giver of justice and peace.

There have been movements working toward reparations from Callie House's Ex-Slave pension movement that enlisted actual ex-slaves to lobby for pensions immediately following slavery. Today's movements led by Congressman Conyers and organizations like N'COBRA are faced with arguments that so much time has passed to even be considered. See? We're damned if we do and.....but have we prayed though?

The greatest of our leaders have supported this just cause. From Frederick Douglass becoming convinced that descendents of African slaves were no better off than they were in bondage without some form of reparations to the 'check marked insufficient funds' Martin spoke of along with his dreams- that part didn't make the sound byte.

There's no doubt the cause is just and there is no doubt that there's nothing too hard for God. When you think of all the nations and all of the profit from slavery and all of the trouble just getting a bill passed for all Americans to be able to go to the doctor...it can get mighty discouraging. I know....thinking about it can depress you quick.

But I am done feeling depressed and I am starting, with my new year approaching on my birthday, January 6th to stop the pity party and start the prayer party. Prayer changes things.

If America cannot see that collectively descendents of African slaves have raised our hands like Celie did to Mister in the movie, 'The Color Purple' and have said "Until you do right by me, everything you even think about is going to fail!' then I am sorry for them and they will continue their demise. All I know is God said the first shall be last and the last shall be first and we know who is who and whose turn it is. Who said we have to stay here or that we want to? God is everywhere and the world is vast.

I have never celebrated Kwanzaa but I really wanted to this year and I vow that I will in the years to come. It celebrates the principles of purpose, faith, cooperative economics, collective responsibility among other things. Tonight my six year old son helped me type this blog...slowly at first...letter by letter....but that is how our prayers can be...they can gain momentum until there has been a bloodless revolution before leaders can be murdered and organizations infiltrated...Have we prayed?

Here is my small contribution to the prayer movement to get the ball rolling, so to speak,

Thank you Jehovah, for this day of life (hey, how you start praying kind of sticks)
I thank you for my family and my friends
Tonight I am praying a different prayer in a different way trying to move people
to talk to you about the injustice in the lack of reparations for descendents of African slaves all over this world-but especially here in America.
I am praying that my great-grandmother Leesidner Baskerville can look down on me here at this computer praying this prayer with my fingers as she used to do in her church and in her heart.
I am praying for her grandparents who were most definitely slaves here in America and all of the other great-great grandparents who worked their whole lives without what I receive for my day's work...pay. Please let them know somehow that their suffering has not been in vain or gone unnoticed.
It is not for us to ask you to fix it in this way or that, with this bill or that bill, but to just ask you to have your way and bring a better day for us because we had had a hard enough time and we need some relief.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our dear Redeemer-(shout out to gramma Laura Baskerville-she always says that at the end of prayers), let your will be done, Amen!



I know I have not been eloquent as I would have liked to have been...no matter... if you pray for reparations for descendents of African slaves, in my words or yours I have been a success at my purpose today. And that is enough.