I believe the word reparations has become an emotional trigger designed to keep us in a paralyzed state. We become so emotional about it because, at our core, we have been conditioned to depend on the system—an extension of the same oppressive force that once enslaved us. Though slavery was abolished on paper, the structure remains intact, operating under new names and disguises. Many of us still act as if we are subservient, unable to move forward unless the system acknowledges our suffering and grants us what is rightfully ours.
But while many speak passionately about reparations, how many of us have truly built something tangible, something that proves we can manifest power outside of this system? Far too often, we talk in circles, clinging to the hope of reparations like a life raft, when in reality, it has become nothing more than bait—something dangled in front of us, never to be given, only used to keep us begging at the master’s table. Worse yet, we have individuals who look like us, claiming to represent our interests, using the reparations discussion as a platform to elevate themselves as leaders. They gather donations, rally support, and speak on our behalf, but where is the tangible movement? Where are the boots on the ground? Where is the shift in our condition?
If we are to be serious about progress, we must carefully vet those who claim to speak for us. Black people, as a collective, are not unified—so how can anyone claim to represent us? When Marcus Garvey mobilized millions, he did it without social media, without Cash App, without PayPal. He had ships. He had an infrastructure. He built something real. That is the standard. A true movement doesn’t wait for approval, nor does it rely on empty rhetoric—it takes action.
I don’t care how many halls you rent out, how many conferences you host, or how eloquently you speak—if there is no real movement toward self-sufficiency, then it is nothing but self-aggrandizement. This is why we are stagnant. Too many charismatic figures talk a good game about unity and reparations, but in reality, we are not unified. It’s like having the best refrigerator in the world, but if it’s not plugged in, it won’t work. The food inside will spoil, and the purpose of the appliance will be lost. The same applies to us—without real connection, without a real cause, we are wasting time. That is the reality, and that is all I choose to deal with.
Waiting for reparations is like waiting for a bus that’s never going to arrive. Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying we shouldn’t expect reparations. We are owed. America has compensated plenty of groups for far less than what has been done to us as Black people. They have paid others for their pain and suffering, yet when it comes to us, there’s always an excuse, always a delay, always some bureaucratic nonsense to keep us pacified while we continue to build their wealth.
They have no intention of compensating us. They used us for hundreds of years to establish their empires, stole from us, erased our contributions, and then rewrote history to make it seem like we never created anything of value. And while we sit around waiting, they are laughing all the way to the bank.
Crying About Reparations Won’t Build a Future
Some of us are so busy crying about reparations that we’ve lost sight of the bigger picture: we are wasting time. Let me be real with you—if reparations were to come, many of us wouldn’t even know what to do with it. What good is a financial windfall if your mindset is still broke? You think a check is going to save us when we’ve been programmed to distrust each other, tear each other down, and envy our own brothers and sisters?
I’ve seen it firsthand. People talk about unity, but when they see another Black man or woman rise up, they feel bitterness instead of inspiration. They covet what others have but won’t put in the work to achieve their own success. So what happens when you hand a foolish person a fortune? They give it right back to the same people who oppressed them. The money won’t circulate in our community. It will end up in the hands of those who never wanted to pay us in the first place.
Success Ain’t About a Check
Let me tell you something: success is not just about money. It’s about ownership. It’s about freedom. It’s about being in control of your destiny, not waiting for someone else to give you permission to live a good life.
I see too many of us waiting, paralyzed by the idea that reparations will be our salvation. But let’s be honest—do you really think America, the same nation that enslaved us, experimented on us, and locked us out of generational wealth, is going to suddenly grow a conscience and hand us a blank check? Come on now. That’s like expecting a thief to return what they stole after they’ve spent it.
And even if they do, by the time they decide to pay up, most of us will be dead and gone. So why are we wasting our lives waiting? Why aren’t we building?
We’ve Been Given the Seeds, But We Refuse to Plant Them
We are a people of immense creativity, intelligence, and resilience. But too many of us refuse to plant the seeds of greatness that already exist within us. Instead, we’re sitting at the bus stop of reparations, watching life pass us by, complaining about what we don’t have instead of using what we do have.
Look at the other nations—India, China, Russia, Japan, Korea—do you see them sitting around waiting for another country to fix their problems? No. They get up, they build, they work together, and they thrive.
Look at the ant hill. When a strong wind blows it down, the ants don’t sit around crying about their loss. They immediately start rebuilding. No complaints. No hesitation. Just action. That’s how we need to be.
Be Your Own Reparations
I refuse to sit around waiting for something that may never come. I refuse to let my potential rot while hoping for someone else to hand me what I already have the power to create. My success isn’t defined by a check from the government.
Success, for me, is waking up in my own home, mortgage-free. Success is not having to clock in to a job I hate. Success is having the freedom to do what I want, when I want, and not having to tolerate people who bring negativity into my life. That’s my reparations—I built it for myself, and no one can take it away from me.
If reparations ever come, I’ll take it. But I won’t be depending on it. By the time that check arrives, I’ll already be so far ahead that it won’t define me.
So stop waiting. Stop whining. Stop watching your potential waste away. Be your own reparations. Build. Grow. Thrive. Because the bus ain’t coming.
