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A28 u.s. news
Diaranson 29 september 2021

Reparations draw UN scrutiny, but those who’d pay say little

be no double standards in at a meeting on reparations be between the perpetrators
the international system in during the General Assembly. and the victims’ descendants,
recognizing, acknowledging “Millions of the descendants the conversation to rectify
and compensating victims of of Africans who were sold wrongs in history has now
crimes against humanity.” into slavery remain trapped become universal.
in lives of underdevelop-
A look at who is and isn’t talk- ment, disadvantage, discrimi- “It’s universal,” Ferstman
ing about the issue this past nation and poverty.” said, “because inequity is
week is a sign that while the universal.”
movement supporting literal Slavery in what became the
payback to the African conti- United States began more Valued reparations to address
nent and the forced diaspora than 400 years ago with harm could come in the form
that ravaged it is growing, slaves forcibly transported by of direct financial payments
the substantive engagement ship from Africa. The debate for individuals, developmen-
of major powers — however about reparations has been tal aid for countries, the re-
apologetic — is limited. ongoing ever since slavery turn of colonized land, trea-
was abolished in 1865. sured artifacts and cultural
(AP) - More than a year countries that are unlikely to U.S. President Joe Biden, for items, systemic corrections
after Black Lives Matter be tapped to pay up — Cuba example, made no mention In recent years, the issue has of policies and laws that may
protests launched a world- and Malaysia among them of it in his address, though languished in Congress for still oppress, and the kind of
wide reckoning about the — in explicitly endorsing the the White House earlier this more than three decades, full-throated apologies and
centuries of racism that creation of reparation sys- year said it supported study- though reparations have acknowledgements that wipe
Black people continue to tems. ing reparations for Black gained traction in a smatter- aside certain historical figures
face, the question of repa- Americans. And the office of ing of cities and local govern- that were once celebrated as
rations emerged — un- Those missing from the re- its U.N. Ambassador Linda ments as the country contin- national heroes.
evenly — as a high-profile newed global conversation on Thomas-Greenfield, who is ues to grapple with fallout
issue at this year’s largest the topic, though, were note- African American, wouldn’t from the death of George “People perceive their harms
gathering of world lead- worthy as well: the United comment on the recent repa- Floyd in 2020. in very different ways —
ers. States, Britain and Germany, rations discussions. this perception of how the
wealthy and developed na- Carla Ferstman, an interna- wrongs happened and how
At the U.N. General Assem- tions built from conquests of Monetary atonement for tional law expert who studies they manifested in terms of
bly, African and Caribbean varying kinds. America’s history of slavery reparations as a professor at later generations,” Ferstman
countries that stand to benefit is a seminal question in the the University of Essex, said said. “One needs to be sensi-
from reparations were backed “Caribbean countries like world’s attempt to recon- the U.N. talks this session tive to what is important and
by other nations, though ours, which were exploited cile with what South African mark a significant milestone how to best rectify.”
those most responsible for and underdeveloped to fi- President Cyril Ramaphosa for the global reparations
slavery and colonialism said nance the development of called “one of the darkest movement that has been The latest discussions on
little about what they might Europe, have put forward a periods in the history of hu- brewing for 20 years. reparations came as the U.N.
owe to African descendants. case for reparations for slavery mankind, and a crime of un- commemorated an important
and native genocide, and we paralleled barbarity.” What remains to be seen is but contentious 2001 anti-
Leaders from Africa (South expect that case to be treated how it unfolds between in- racism conference in South
Africa and Cameroon) to with the seriousness and ur- “Its legacy persists in the dividual nations — and how Africa that resulted in what is
the Caribbean (Saint Kitts & gency it deserves,” said Philip Americas, the Caribbean, Eu- transformative the results known as the Durban Decla-
Nevis and Saint Lucia) were J. Pierre, prime minister of rope, the Middle East, and in are. While each reparations ration.
joined by representatives of Saint Lucia. “There should Africa itself,” Ramaphosa said program would specifically

As daughter sought state license, Noem summoned agency head

(AP) — Just days after a South Dakota agency Still, government ethics experts who reviewed the
moved to deny her daughter’s application to series of events at the AP’s request said Noem’s In September 2019, Peters applied to become a
become a certified real estate appraiser, Gov. decision to include her daughter in the meeting certified residential appraiser. But in late July 2020,
Kristi Noem summoned to her office the state created a conflict of interest regardless of what was the Appraiser Certification Program moved to
employee who ran the agency, the woman’s discussed. deny the license, according to a July 27 letter from
direct supervisor and the state labor secretary. Peters’ supervisor that was obtained by AP. The
While Peters was applying for the certification, certification is denied when an applicant’s work
Noem’s daughter attended too. Noem should have recused herself from discus- samples don’t meet minimum compliance with
sions on the agency, especially any that would apply national standards, according to the agency’s up-
Kassidy Peters, then 26, ultimately obtained the to her daughter’s application, said Richard Painter, grade procedures.
certification in November 2020, four months af- a professor at the University of Minnesota Law
ter the meeting at her mother’s office. A week School who was the chief ethics lawyer for former
after that, the labor secretary called the agency President George W. Bush.
head, Sherry Bren, to demand her retirement, ac-
cording to an age discrimination complaint Bren “It’s clearly a conflict of interest and an abuse of
filed against the department. Bren, 70, ultimately power for the benefit of a family member,” he said.
left her job this past March after the state paid her
$200,000 to withdraw the complaint. Peters began working as a state-registered appraiser
– an entry-level job – in 2016. She worked under
Exactly what transpired at the July 27, 2020, meet- the supervision of a certified appraiser to get the
ing in the governor’s office isn’t clear. Noem de- experience necessary to apply for her own residen-
clined an interview request and her office declined tial appraiser certification. It’s not an easy hurdle;
to answer detailed questions about the meeting. applicants must show they can perform appraisals
to national standards, putting to use 200 hours of
“The Associated Press is disparaging the Gover- classroom education and months of experience.
nor’s daughter in order to attack the Governor po-
litically – no wonder Americans’ trust in the media While trainees make as little as $10 an hour, cer-
is at an all-time low,” spokesman Ian Fury said. tified residential appraisers can launch their own
businesses and can make more than $50,000 a year.