Reparations for Unpaid Labor Rendered by Enslaved Persons of African Descent

WHEREAS, the enslavement of Africans and the Transatlantic Slave Trade were appalling tragedies in the history of our country, not only because of their abhorrent barbarism, but also in terms of their magnitude, organized nature and their complete negation of the humanity of the enslaved person; and

WHEREAS, the enslavement of Africans constituted an immoral and inhumane deprivation of a person's life, liberty and cultural heritage; and

WHEREAS, the enslavement of Africans resulted in the extinguishments of millions of Africans eviscerating whole cultures, languages, religions, morals, and customs, psychologically destroying its victims; and

WHEREAS, the enslavement of Africans wrenched its victims of their history, memories and families on a scale never previously witnessed; and

WHEREAS, the enslavement of Africans fueled the prosperity of our young nation, allowing its economy to reap the benefits of unpaid labor or untold value.

WHEREAS, President George Bush has declared that slavery was a crime against humanity for which there was no statue of limitations.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP support the United Nations World Conference on Racism's position that the enslavement of Africans and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade are crimes against humanity; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP support efforts to establish responsibility and recover compensation in trust from private companies and agencies that benefited from the enslavement of persons of African descent.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP reaffirm its previous position on reparations, established in 1991, as embodied in H.R. 40 that demands that the United States Government take immediate action to commence hearings and to establish a congressional commission to examine the issue of reparations for descendents of enslaved persons of African descent.