I am all for the United States government paying reparations to the descendants of African slaves. If I were Queen, step one would be the proper identification of the benefiting group. Although that action may spurn a rash of unprecedented race realizations, I would ignore all Johnny-come-lately epiphanies and leave the here-to-fore passers to continue lying in the beds that they made. Step two would be a four hundred-year income and property tax freeze for the group. Step three would be free, top level, K-college education for the group (also for four hundred years) and a historically accurate depiction of U.S. and world history taught to all children (and adults) in all U.S. schools. Step four would be a workable dollar amount, say what this country has spent (and is spending) on the last four unjust wars, to be split among the members of the group. This would of course come with the strict stipulation that these funds could only be spent with Black / African American owned businesses (so that the money might stay in our community more than seven minutes). Step five would be the provision of one private and one group therapy session for all members of the group each week for four years. I would appoint Dr. Francis Cress Welsing to approve of the presiding therapists. Step six would be to eliminate all monuments, holidays and etc. that stand in tribute to slave owners and the removal of the names and images of such persons from stamps, money, public buildings and the like. This would of course leave room for more appropriate holidays like Juneteenth. Step seven would be the removal of nuclear plants, toxic waste dumps and asbestos (in the schools and public buildings) in Black neighborhoods. I would add the removal of predator companies and business, but the successful implementation of the preceding steps will take care of that… Although I am praying that all of these things come to pass, I think that while we work toward and wait for it to happen, we get busy with the task of repairing ourselves. I say until that day comes, we spend every day identifying for ourselves who is with us and who is not. I say we spend every day educating ourselves, our children and our friends (of all colors), on the real history of our people, this country and of the world. I say we focus on supporting each other and our businesses until we can’t help but amass billions of dollars through our own means. I say we acknowledge that our bodies and our minds have suffered all but irreparable damage and that we must make it our top priority to repair the physical and metaphysical houses of our souls. I truly believe that if each of us did this, in no time at all (relatively speaking) we would no longer need the U.S. government to do what it obviously has no intention of doing anyway…