Readers React: The way to do reparations right: Fully fund historically black colleges

To the editor: Chasing the ghost of slavery to gain reparations for atrocities, Jim Crow, inequality and countless other crimes committed against blacks in the dark history of this nation, has lofty moral implications, but in truth is unattainable and unrealistic. (“Reparations are an opportunity to turn a corner on race relations,” Opinion, April 23)

I am a black man who has always thought reparations for African Americans was like looking for a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Still, there is a practical solution to solving our national dilemma.

The U.S. government should fully fund historically black colleges; it should provide full scholarships to all students in those schools and to eligible incarcerated black inmates; and it should provide training in the trades for black youth whose aptitude indicates a certain skill set.

The history of slavery in this country should not be forgotten. Let’s make sure it’s never repeated.

Donald Peppars, Pomona

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To the editor: Democrats have no shame. We are now hearing calls for black reparations. Is that not the most cynical attempt to turn out black voters?

That is just the beginning. In some places there are calls for 16-year-olds to vote. There’s a movement to give felons the right to vote. To top it all off, why don’t we get rid of the electoral college and just totally disempower smaller states?

It has been a long time since President John F. Kennedy famously said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

Nathan Post, Santa Barbara

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To the editor: How about including Native Americans, Chinese railroad workers, early Filipino farmworkers and other groups into consideration by a commission on reparations?

Our national atrocities are numerous. We built this country by taking advantage of others.

Tom Steers, Rancho Palos Verdes

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