George,

While it may be true that holocaust reparations are going mostly to surviving victims, it must be recognized that the nature of slavery (being supported by the government and being central to the economy in which so many businesses profited) and the subsequent social, economic and political climate in this country severely limited, and, in most cases outright prohibited blacks (on pain of death), from taking legal actions

Most holocaust survivors, after the holocaust, have the sympathy and support of numerous influential people, organizations, and even governments in requesting and receiving reparations, while slaves and their descendants remained disenfranchised with no rights until the late 1960's. And while we're on it let's not forget that though generations have passed, many freed blacks suffered from confiscation of property and personal liberty illegally because of the slave supporting climate of this country.

Another benefit of reparations as I see it would be to force research to be done, thus providing to many descendants of slaves, information and documentation about their ancestors. This loss of heritage and ancestry is something the survivors of the holocaust have not suffered should definitely be considered when we talk about reparations.

Lucindy Brannon (electronic mail, January 15, 2003)