Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television, told CNBC that the US government should pay 14 trillion dollars in reparations for slavery of blacks, to reduce racial inequality in the country.
population Stratification by income level and police brutality against blacks are the cause of the protests that erupted across the country after the murder of George Floyd last week during the arrest in Minneapolis.
“It’s time to play big” not to allow America to split into two separate and unequal society, said Johnson.
“the Transfer of wealth is what you need. Think about it,” said Johnson. According to him, the black population after more than 200 years of slavery have not received access to education, which is the driving force for the accumulation of wealth.
Johnson went down in history as the first black American billionaire when he sold BET to Viacom, the company in 2001. Shortly after the sale, he founded an investment company The RLJ Cos. Now it is no longer included in the Forbes list of billionaires.
Calling repair “program of positive discrimination of all-time”, Johnson said they will send a signal that white Americans will recognize “due to damage” the unequal playing field created by slavery.
“Losses are a normal factor in a capitalist society, when you are deprived of certain rights,” he said, noting that if this money gets into the pockets of the people, they will return back into the economy, there will be more companies established black population.
Johnson said that the demand for reparations appeared on his website since last year. He stated that he is not in favor of a more bureaucratic programs that are not implemented.
He said: “I’m talking about money. We are a society based on wealth. This is the basis of capitalism.”
Chairman and chief Executive officer of the pharmaceutical compAANII Merck & Co. Ken Fraser, who has previously said that could be in place of Floyd, questioned the possibility of damages.
“I don’t believe we can get something like that through our political system,” he said.
However, he said, “Leaders in the business community are the unifying force. They can be a source of opportunities. They can be a source of understanding.”
“We, as business leaders, can go to solve many of these economic problems for people,” — said Fraser, noting that education, especially financial literacy, is “the great equalizer”.
