The Influence of Reparations, Internalized Oppression, and Racial Centrality Across Systemic and Psychological Factors Concerning the African American Community

The purpose of this paper was to utilize the literature to better understand how reparations have a causal effect on, (a) internalized oppression; (b) racial centrality; (c) systemic inequity; and (d) mental health outcomes within the African American community. Reparations are examined through both monetary gains and the significance of societal recognition of the history of African chattel slavery. In addition, the White versus African American wealth gap is utilized to display the relationship between unpaid reparations and contemporary economic oppression. The findings illustrate the causal effects of unpaid reparations that were demonstrated throughout the literature to have negative consequences on the African American community. Moreover, a direct link was found between unpaid reparations and negative economic mobility, mental health outcomes, internalized oppression, and decreased racial centrality. Finally, the findings also show the benefits reparations would have on the descendants of African slaves, which were increased racial centrality, decreased internalized oppression, and systemic recognition, as well as positively impacting future generations. Therefore, the effects would impact the entire African American community, through increasing generational wealth and equity