by Windy Goodloe, secretary, Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association
Over ten years ago, on May 21, 2014, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ article “The Case for Reparations” was published in The Atlantic. Coates wrote about the need for America to “reckon with our compounding moral debts.” More than a decade after this impassioned article sparked a debate about reparations, it is still a hot topic.
Belinda Royall was the first recorded case of a person receiving reparations for slavery in the United States, in the form of a pension. Ms. Royall, who was also known as Belinda Sutton, was born around 1713 in West Africa, in what is now present-day Ghana. She was enslaved by the Royall family in Medford, Massachusetts. When her owner Isaac Royall Jr. escaped to Nova Scotia at the beginning of the American Revolution, he left her behind. In his will, however, he left unique wishes for Belinda. He gave her the option of freedom. He also stated that she should be provided with security so that she may not become a charge in the town of Medford. Further, if she didn’t accept the offer of freedom, she was to be bequeathed to his daughter Mary Erving. Belinda was the only one among the people Royall enslaved who was emancipated.
In February 1783, Belinda petitioned the Massachusetts General Court. She requested a pension from the proceeds of her enslaver’s estate. She was awarded an annual pension of fifteen pounds and twelve shillings.
However, following Belinda Royall’s successful petition, no other federal reparations bills have been passed.
When most people think about reparations, the first thing that comes to mind is money, but reparations can take many forms. One thing that Coates stressed in his article was the importance of the people seeking reparations being able to say and define what form those reparations would come in.
I recently sat in on a webinar titled the “Fourth Session Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, International Civil Society Work Group – Reparations Panel” that was sponsored by the UN. I found out about this webinar through Daniel Stern, who spoke about diasporic perspectives on reparations during the meeting. He spoke on behalf of the Black Seminoles/Negros Mascogos in Mexico. The Negros Mascogos are a group of Black Seminoles who fled the United States, particularly Indian Territory, in 1850, in order to escape slavery. They found refuge in Mexico, but have always longed to be recognized as American citizens. So reparations for the Negros Mascogos would be dual citizenship. And it’s not like they are asking for anything that is impossible because their neighbors, the Kickapoo, have received this benefit. Dual citizenship would allow the Negros Mascogos to come into the states for work, to visit family, and to contribute positively to their economy.
This quest for reparations is interesting on many levels. There are times when the fight is loud, in the form of protests. There are times when it is quiet, in the form of speaking to one or a few individuals about it, getting people to understand and possibly change their minds. There are people who have been advocating for reparations for decades. As with most changes, this will continue to be a long process. It takes time for hearts and minds to change. It takes time to elect politicians who see the importance of reparative justice. But there are many people who have been fighting this fight for an incredibly long time, and they have no interest in giving up anytime soon.
