Reparations for the descendants of enslaved African Americans has been a hot topic since the end of the Civil War and has gained traction in recent years with the legacy of slavery being discussed in the national legislature. Despite opposition from conservative political leaders like Mitch McConnell, we need to make this topic a reality.

Contrary to what the average person may believe, racism did not, in fact, end with the conclusion of the civil rights movement. While legal discrimination is no longer present, racist ideologies still permeate our institutions and structures. Take, for example, the racial wealth gap. 

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, “The wealth of the richest 400 Americans is approximately equal to that of 43 million Black Americans.” Despite Black Americans comprising 13% of the population, they only hold 4% of the country’s wealth compared to the 84% that white Americans hold.

The racial wealth gap manifests itself in other forms of inequality, such as access to higher education, equal housing and affordable healthcare. The disadvantages Black Americans face in these realms create a devastating cycle; the lack of a college degree decreases Black Americans’ chances of finding well-paying jobs, which in turn prevents them from accruing generational wealth that will benefit their progeny.

This phenomenon is clear on college campuses — especially our own — where white students dominate our student body population. Moreover, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, racial wealth disparities have only intensified.

The overwhelming majority — a striking 77% — of Black adults believe descendants of enslaved Africans should receive compensation. While many Black Americans are unsure about their ancestry due to the displacement of Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade, all Black people in this country face the lasting impacts of our once racial dictatorship. Therefore, all Black people in this country would benefit from reparations.

There have been perfunctory efforts to repair the damages white America has inflicted upon Black people. Wealth amassing projects like the GI Bill and the Homestead Acts have been disguised as efforts to help Black people but have disproportionately benefited white people.

Immediately following the Civil War, the enslaved were promised “40 acres and a mule” in order to give them an economic jump start upon freedom. However, this early promise was broken after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, and Black Americans have been patiently waiting for their due compensation.

Despite mainstream counterarguments, reparations can and should be plausible. After World War II, the Japanese individuals who were displaced from the West Coast and placed in concentration camps were granted reparations, demonstrating that this effort can be accomplished.

Considering the effects of slavery are more integrated into our institutions than those of World War II concentration camps, reparations for Black Americans will definitely require a more systematic, organized approach. There have been many proposals for how it could work, most of which rely on taxing wealth. It could also take the form of student loan forgiveness or free junior college.

Even if reparations are not achieved on the scale that groups like the NAACP have called for, a small change is better than none.

From the ground up, Black Americans have helped build this country at their own expense. The American colonies only became profitable once Africans were shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to work on plantations for white slave owners.

Today still, Black Americans are contributing to the prosperity of the United States with little to nothing in return. They play on our sports teams, create our music and start new fashion trends. Not only is compensation deserved by Black people for their efforts in making this country what it is, but it’s needed. If the United States wants to hold true to its founding ideals, we need to not only make racial equality a reality in law but a reality in practice as well. Giving reparations is a good step in that direction.