(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, CNN recently-demoted host Don Lemon questioned why the enormous fortune belonging to the Royal Family was not spent on reparations for the enslavement of black people more than 200 years ago.
While hosting live from London, Lemon asked royal commentator and scholar Hilary Fordwich why King Charles III is not passing out the money, The Post Millennial reported.
“All of this wealth comes as England is facing rising costs of living, a living crisis and austerity budget cuts,” Lemon started, adding that there are some citizens of the island nation “asking for reparations for colonialism.”
“$100 billion, $24 billion here and there… some people wanna be paid back, and members of the public are wondering ‘why are we suffering when you have all of this vast wealth?’ Those are legitimate concerns,” Lemon huffed.
Fordwich acknowledged the fact that people have been requesting reparations, but pointed out that many slaves were sold to Europeans by African tribes.
“Where was the beginning of the supply chain?” she said. “That was in Africa, when, across the entire world, slavery was taking place.”
She also reminded Lemon that England was the first country in the world to abolish the practice, and even sent men all around the world in an attempt to stop slavery abroad.
“The African kings were rounding up their own people,” Fordwich continued. “They had them in cages waiting on the beaches; no one was running into Africa to get them.”
“If reparations need to be paid, we need to go right back to the beginning of the supply chain and say ‘who was rounding up their own people and having them handcuffed in cages?” she concluded. “Absolutely that’s where they should start.”
She also recommended that the descendants of those who lost their lives in the fight against international slavery should be eligible for reparations.
“It’s an interesting discussion,” Lemon replied, obviously at a loss for words. “We’ll continue to discuss in the future.”
