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Annotated Bibliography

Why Havent African-Americans Received Reparations for Slavery Yet?

Chantel Lynn
Professor Malcolm Campbell
English 1103
October 20, 2016

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Annotated Bibliography
Gifford, Anthony. "The Legal Basis of the Claim for Slavery Reparations." Human Rights 27
(2000): 16-18. JSTOR. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.
This reliable website highlights the legal justifications of the claim for slavery reparations. The
author frequently references the Human Rights document and supported by the American Bar
Association (ABA) which significantly boosts his credibility. The author removed all bias from
this journal by using strictly using historical events as examples and credible sources such as the
Shorter Oxford Dictionary, International Law and the Declaration of Human Rights. The
questions address who should claim reparations, who the reparations should be against, for what
amount and in what court. With reference to reparations paid to other societies such as those of
Jewish and Japanese descent. The author argues that according to the Charter of Nuremberg
Tribunal, slavery is classified as a crime against humanity which, under international law
means that reparations must be paid. Furthermore, there is nothing legally preventing successful
claims for reparations. The plaintiff making the claims would be all Africans in Africa and the
diaspora. The author addresses the fact that a minority of African tribes did provide services for
the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade but rebuts that this simple contingency does not negate the
ferocity of the matter at hand. The defendants of the claim would be nations that promoted and
benefited from the slave trade, instead of companies and families because the author clearly
defined reparations as collective responsibility, not hereditary guilt. I will be using this source
because it provides a non-biased perspective on the issue and the legal tone provides a great
background for understanding, definitions, and precedent. This is one of the best reliable
websites that I can use because its information is strictly based on the legality of the introduced a
claim for slavery reparations and the American Bar Association is the most qualified source.

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Holland/Associated Press, Jessie J. "Millennials May Eventually Shift Public Opinion on Slavery
Reparations." PBS NEWSHOUR: Race Matters. PBS, 12 May 2016. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.
This developed PBS article uses data from polls and surveys to provide accurate,
nonbiased information. The author is arguing that millennials may be the generation to
initiative more conversations about reparations for slavery because they are the most
culturally diverse generation. The polls suggest that more than half of white Americans
are against reparations for slavery, majority of African Americans believe they should
have reparations for slavery, and Hispanics are split on the issue. This broad spectrum of
views is liable to shift over time because over half of the millennials polled are willing to
consider the possibility of paying reparations to descendants of African slaves. The
Exclusive Point Taken-Marist Poll [and PBS debate series Point Taken] is the poll the
author refers to. The poll suggests that the results are not only affected by ethnicity, but
by age group or generation and they get more liberal as the generations go from age
sixty-nine and over, Baby Boomers, Generation Xers and finally, Millennials. In January
of this year, the U.N. Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
recommended that the discussion for reparations for slavery is open and taken under full
consideration. The U.N. also elaborated on the idea that racial inequality is still prevalent
in the nation and there has been no act of reconciliation for slavery. I will be using this
source because it is provides reliable data and PBS is a highly credited news source.
Also, the author is very objective and quoted reliable sources such as the U.N. and the
Census Bureau. Two thousand twenty-one people over the age of eighteen participated in
the telephone poll over the course of five days with a sampling error of plus or minus 2.8

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points. The author stated a clear argument and provided various forms of reliable
evidence which is why I feel comfortable using this source.
Shelly Campo , Teresa Mastin & M. Somjen Frazer (2004) Predicting and Explaining Public
Opinion Regarding U.S. Slavery Reparations, Howard Journal of Communications, 15:2,
115-130, DOI: 10.1080/10646170490447593
This peer reviewed journal is by far my favorite source because it provides a lot of in
depth research about the logistics and debate over reparations for slavery. The authors
clearly defined their purpose as developing an understanding of how Americans truly feel
about slavery reparations and their studies suggest that though the opinion about
reparations for slavery is highly associated with race, the spectrum of opinions is not as
polarized as the media portrays it to be. Most people are against reparations given to
individuals but many are in favor are reparations in alternate forms such as a slavery
museum or community development programs. Prior to conducting their polls, the
authors researched common arguments of the proponents of slavery reparations. The
authors highlighted the key events responsive for the major increase of attention and
discussion about the topic of reparations for slavery. I trust this information because it
aligns with the research that Ive come across from other sources and the information that
is new to me is very in depth which shows that the authors conducted thorough research
on this topic. These authors are also credible because they cite their polling
informationconducted during Fall of 2001 in a mid-sized southern university of six
hundred fourteen state residentsand used research from reliable sources such as the
Institute for Research in African American Studies at Columbia University. I will be
using this peer reviewed journal because the authors started with the same questions that I

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have and even more. Their research question of what factors predict attitudes toward
slavery reparations and forms of compensation intrigued me and opened up more
questions for me to consider.
Sunga, Ricardo. "Making Amends: Debate Continues Over Reparations for U.S. Slavery."
Interview by Margot Adler. Justice Talking. NPR. Pennsylvania, 14 Sept. 2016. Radio.
This developed NPR article brings attention to the fact that other nationsthough much
smallerbelieve that the United States needs to take significant steps to repair the
damage forced upon African Americans by slavery. Ricardo Sunga of Geneva and
chairperson of the UNs Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
believes that reparations for slavery needs to be an ongoing conversation. Sunga makes it
clear that racial injustice does not just happen in the United States but after visiting the
nation for ten days he realized the impending need for public acknowledgement of past
injustices inflicted upon African Americans and the significance of reparatory justice.
Sunga states that reparatory in the United States is not limited to compensation but also a
formal apology and restitution which is making right what is wrong. He states that there
is no one form of restitution but it cannot be done in the dark, it must be public it is
essential to ease racial tensions. In order to understand the root of racial tensions or for
those who do not understand, we must look back at and evaluate slavery. Unfortunately,
many textbooks do not teach about slavery so it is not widely considered as something
that is relevant for discussion. Examples of different forms of restitution would be
forgiving debts since African Americans are disproportionally arrested and jailed
because they cannot pay the required fees. The speakers in the interview also mention
how there is not yet a global conversation regarding reparations for slavery. I will be

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using this source to document the fact that when outsiders visit our nation they do not see
the land of the free or equal opportunity national that we so proudly promote.
Instead, they see a group of people crying out for help beneath the faade of in liberty
and justice for all.