Since African Americans fought for freedom from slavery in the
19th century, many have called for reparations–financial
compensation for the years of chattel slavery. Although former
slaves were promised 40 acres and a mule to help them rebound
from being enslaved, the program was short-lived, and many have
been wondering if African Americans–like their Jewish
counterparts–would ever see proper compensation for suffering
such heinous atrocities in this country. While we will probably
never see financial compensation for slavery, many have argued
that blacks in America should receive reparations in the form of
a free college education or student loan debt forgiveness, while
other still hold fast to the “40 acres and a mule” philosophy
and want land. In June, the National Coalition of Blacks for
Reparations in America (NCOBRA) is holding a conference to
examine why African Americans should still be granted
reparations more than 150 years after slavery ended. “After the
passage of the 13Th and 14Th amendments, l