Pervasive Antiblackness and Reparations for Slavery and the Slave Trade

• In Event: Run Dat Back: Situating the Race for Theory and Antiblackness in Education Through Black Women Theorizing

Abstract

Purpose: The discourse on reparations for the slave trade, enslavement and their subsequent legacies is framed in many ways by the pervasiveness of white supremacy and antiblackness in society broadly, and within education more specifically. How the histories of slave trade and slavery are presented tend to obfuscate the racialized intentionality of these crimes against humanity. Following abolition, Black populations in former slave societies in particular (and across the African Diaspora) have persevered in the face of brutality, discrimination, and marginalization, yet continue to encounter oppressive systems that limit economic, educational, and social advance. Wynter (2003) argued that repression of Blacks has been reproduced over centuries through ecclesiastical formulations, Darwinism, and psychosocial mechanisms that affirmed the perceived inferiority of Black people and thus maintained their diminished societal status. These realities for diaspora populations, particularly in former slave societies, speak to the continuing legacies of enslavement and as such, demonstrate the imperative for us to reflect and assess on how we understand and teach the histories of slavery. It is within this context that the discourse on reparations should be situated. In this paper I argue that to engage in a meaningful discussion on reparations, we need to wrestle with the pervasive antiblackness framing of the discourse and recognize the global and comparative complexities to the legacies of the slave trade and slavery.

Perspective: I draw on research about the African Diaspora to inform my theoretical framework. The African Diaspora, which as a construct grew out of the Pan-African movements in the mid-20th century (Kelly, 2002), encompasses the vast and varied experiences of hundreds of millions of dispersed African descendent people (including both coerced and voluntary) across the globe. Kelly (2002) cautioned scholars to be mindful that the desire for highlighting a shared or common understanding among Black diaspora populations does not blur over or erase the complexity and “the full-range of Black transnational political, cultural, and intellectual links” (p. 124).

Methods: This is a theoretical paper.

Scholarly Significance: Enslavement sought to sever communal connections to a past, forced on Black people a violent present, and stole their potential future (both in terms of human possibilities as well as economic labor). As one of history’s great injustices, the discourse on reparations for slavery and the slave trade remain an enduring issue with dynamics that transcend many contemporary and comparative concerns that include, but are not limited to, race, class, gender, and identity. Further, the persistent and entrenched antiblackness throughout many societies skews and truncates meaningful discussion and action on reconciling these crimes against humanity. Education scholars and practitioners need to engage and sit with the dynamic, uncomfortable, and reflective conversations on reparations. Through this paper, I look to contribute to that process.

Author

• Nafees Mohammad Khan, Clemson University