Inglewood Backs Idea of Paying Reparations to U.S. Slaves’ Kin : Civil Rights: A bill introduced by a Michigan congressman would create a committee to study proposals for payments.

The Inglewood City Council Tuesday unanimously supported the concept of federal government reparations for the descendants of slaves but only after the resolution was broadened to acknowledge other ethnic groups that have suffered discrimination.

A strongly worded resolution introduced by Councilman Garland Hardeman lamented the “barbarities of institutionalized slavery” on black Americans and urged Congress to support a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Michigan) to create a congressional committee to study reparation proposals for the descendants of slaves.

In an attempt to win support from the city’s two non-black councilmen, Mayor Edward Vincent introduced a companion resolution that noted many ethnic groups have suffered discrimination and the city “abhors all racial injustice.” Vincent’s measure did not call for reparations for these groups but did urge the federal government to “devise remedies” to the problem of racial discrimination.

Vincent said his resolution, which was combined with Hardeman’s, was aimed at Councilmen Anthony Scardenzan and Jose Fernandez, and was an attempt to reach out to the city’s other ethnic groups. The city is about 55% black and 35% Latino, with the remaining 10% split among whites, Asians and others.

“I have a statement as a black man but I also have a statement as mayor of all the people of Inglewood,” Vincent said.

Fernandez, a Cuban immigrant, said he favored Vincent’s proposal because it acknowledges the “evil of slavery” but also recognizes that Native Americans, Mexicans, Chinese, Japanese, Irish Catholics and other groups have also suffered in America.

Scardenzan, who was born in Italy, said fairness dictates that all groups that have suffered discrimination be considered for reparation payments.

“The Italians also suffered discrimination when they came here,” he said. “Maybe I’ll get some money too.”

Hardeman criticized Vincent, Scardenzan and Fernandez for supporting a “watered down resolution” and not highlighting reparations for African-Americans. Councilman Daniel Tabor said he would have supported Hardeman’s resolution alone.

“The political and economic damage from slavery continues,” Hardeman said in an interview. “The number of people in the ghetto and the lower economic status of blacks are the result of slavery.

“Other groups may have been discriminated against but black people were enslaved,” said Hardeman.

Hardeman’s resolution read in part: “African-Americans suffered, as did the Native Americans and Japanese-Americans, from broken promises, broken contracts, abandonment of moral justice, deprived of land, of life, of freedom, of property. Further, African-Americans labored in the chains of slavery on the farmlands, highways and byways of this nation and thus contributed fruitfully toward the growth and development of this nation.”

The idea of paying the descendants of slaves did not start with Inglewood.

Last year, delegates to the African-American Summit in New Orleans called for reparation payments and the Detroit City Council passed a resolution calling on Congress to set aside a $40 billion reparations fund to be used for educational purposes. In Massachusetts, a state senator introduced a bill that would have a state commission study the idea.

A spokesman for Conyers, Leslie Kaufman, said the congressman’s bill has the support of other members of the Congressional Black Caucus and is gaining editorial support in black publications.

The idea gained currency when the Congress in 1988 allocated $20,000 for each Japanese-American who was interned during World War II.