Robert Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television and believes that in the name of reducing racial inequality, the U.S. government should hand out $14 trillion for reparations for slavery.
Johnson, the first black billionaire in America, made his comments during an interview on CNBC.
“Now is the time to go big.” BET founder Robert Johnson calls for “full and complete” reparations for descendants of slaves. pic.twitter.com/6CoR51OIXL
— CNBC (@CNBC) June 1, 2020
Johnson: Reparations The Greatest ‘Affirmative Action Program Of All Time’
Johnson said on “Squawk Box,” “Now is the time to go big… wealth transfer is what’s needed.”
He focused on racial inequity.
“Think about this,” Johnson said. “Since 200-plus-years or so of slavery, labor taken with no compensation, is a wealth transfer. Denial of access to education, which is a primary driver of accumulation of income and wealth, is a wealth transfer.”
Johnson sold BET to Viacom in 2001, making the 74-year-old America’s first black billionaire.
He called reparations the greatest “affirmative action program of all time.”
Johnson said that the payment would show that white Americans acknowledge “damages that are owed” because of slavery and how that represented a “wealth transfer to white Americans away from African Americans.”
“Damages is a normal factor in a capitalist society for when you have been deprived for certain rights,” he said.
Johnson continued, “If this money goes into pockets like the [coronavirus] stimulus checks … that money is going to return back to the economy” in the form of buying goods and services.
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Johnson noted that his support for reparations is not new.
“I’m not new to this challenge.” He also stressed that he doesn’t want “more bureaucratic programs that don’t deliver and don’t perform.”
“I’m talking about cash,” Johnson insisted. “We are a society based on wealth. That’s the foundation of capitalism.”
BET founder Robert Johnson calls for $14 trillion of reparations for slavery https://t.co/fkZT7U3hcu
— Micha’el C. York 🇺🇸 (@micha_york) June 30, 2021
RELATED: McCarthy: Kamala Harris ‘Spent More Time At The Airport Than She Spent At The Border’
Are Reparations Realistic?
Merck Chairman and CEO Ken Frazier, who is black, followed Johnson on CNBC and openly doubted possible reparations.
“I don’t believe we’ll be able to get anything like that through our political system,” Frazier said.
“Leaders in the business community have to be a unifying force,” Frazier noted. “They can be a source of opportunity. They can be a source of understanding.”
“We as business leaders can step up and solve many of these economic problems for people,” Frazier added.
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i think this boy is absolutely out of his mind. how much would the people get, 50 bucks each?
OK, he can pay it out of his billions.
now you know where his money comes from.
That's rich, coming from a millionaire!
He’s a clown. Use your own money for reparations.
when they can prove I PERSONALLY owned slaves then I will be willing to pay reparations!
14 Trillion? DEAL! In exchange, the debt is to be considered settled and monies will be split evenly between the freed slaves and the children of freed slaves. Any uncollected money by those two groups shall be destroyed.
Wish in one hand, crap in the other. Let me know which one filled up.
Hmmmm…. Black billionaire? Why don’t you pay reparations to all your brothers and sisters.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
My great-great grandfather was a Grand Duke in the Russian royal family. He was uncle to the czar. Can I have my kingdom back?
How about money for the families of the Union Soldiers that died fighting slavery?
and let's not forget the fact, that blacks sold slaves as well from captured tribes, and then we have the irish folk too.
Well Robert Johnson I do not believe you or your children were slaves . so my mom was great at answering things like this I believe she would say if she was here God rest her sole. Want in one hand and shit in the other and see which one fills up first. You deserve nothing like that at all. You parents were not even slaves . all of this would have been dead and gone if it wasn't for the ignorance of those rotten smelly DAMOCRAPS. If you want money get from them . They are the ones that enslaved your ANSESTORS . they were into human TRAFFICKING even way back then and are still at it to this very day. Hillary obama and commie biden knows about that kind of thing . a investigative reporter talked all about it . it's some of the stuff these media stations would not tell anyone. Lincoln was a Republican president HE IS THE ONE THAT FREED THE SLAVES. Not DAMOCRAPS . Those DAMOCRAPS were making money off of your ANSESTORS . and yet a lot of you cave to a damocrap why all they done is injustice to all Americans . damocraps are only for themselves. Greedy rotten smelly STINKING PITTIFUL EXCUSE OF A HUMAN BEING !!! ALL OF THEM DESERVE TO BE IN PRISON AND AWAITING A FIRING SQUAD. LETS GET IT DONE YOU DO NOTHING POLITICIANS !!!
There is no
court system or congress that will agree with him thank God. He’s full of hot air.
The slaves got free room and board, but they had to work for it; that's the reason they were treated badly because even today, many of them don't want to work or are not good at it. As far as education goes, they get it for free nowadays yet half of them don't want it and drop out. And they have been given many opportunities to learn free for a trade…since 1963.
If reparation is paid, then all the welfare money, food stamps, free hospital care, free education, housing, disability and all the other free stuff they got; mostly without having to work for it, should be deducted first and be mandatory that all that money is paid back to the govt. and taxpayers first. Bottom line……they would owe more than $14 trillion. So its best they quit demanding before we demand they pay us back; its a 2-way street which they would lose.
Only idiots asking for reparations or stupidly voting for demonRATs should have to pay it
NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. If you want "reparations" go to Africa and look for the living relatives of the slaver traders there. Otherwise, SHUT UP!!!
Money is the root of all evil. How much Evil are you asking for?
How about we freaking fix the crap now and drop the slavery bullshit. We have all been slaves to the US, stop the damn pity party.
No problem! Just go ahead and write the check! Better yet, send me a check for $ 100,000,000 and I'll do an in-depth study on how to disperse the funds.
Self-aggrandizement : "I am (fill in the blank) so YOU OWE me (fill in the blank)." American Dream: "NO ONE OWES TO YOU ANYTHING!" Richard Johnson OWES every person who have "suffered" under his derangement, FOURTEEN TRILLION DOLLARS for insulting our intelligence, and MOCKING those poor souls who WERE enslaved by the Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration.
Let the racist criminal Joe Biden pay him out of pocket with our money??
I wonder what Mr Johnson would say to the idea of having the descendants of the Black AFRICAN Slave Traders (who actually sold the Black slaves) pay those reparations.
I think the addiction rate in the black community would explode. And America can not afford it. This sort of corrective surgery to redress wrongs is more like amputation by a mad man for no purpose. I'm sure it would make Johnson richer. What it portends is to push one part of society into poverty to pay for another to continue living as a separate nation within a nation like parasites. They have real opportunity now and are failing to realize it. With so many "white" people staying on unemployment rather than work where is the push for those jobs? At the same time the DNC is activist taking every opportunity to defund private businesses. I have suspected this is also part of their plan to ruin the majority to enfranchise a minority, sounds very Sharia law to me.
I think this guy needs to shut up and go away,. He is a billionaire in this country, who allowed him to prosper and be the best he can be, just like most others of color and nationality since over a hundred years ago. If people can't get ahead they need to look no further than themselves.
The 13th Amendment (R) freed the slaves and the 16th Amendment (D) enslaved everyone, plus you can't renounce your citizenship without paying an exit tax (proof you are enslaved) and they could yank your passport (proof you are enslaved). I want reparations for being enslaved my entire life.
White people didn't own slaves. Democrats (black and white) owned slaves. Let the Democrats pay out of their pockets. How do I know his ancestors didn't own slaves? Why is there there a BET Channel? That sounds racists to me.
Good job PI, I thought for sure you would step in and defend this guy by deflecting opinion…..
Here's a man who became a living example of the American Dream and like all men he has fault, he see's what he thinks is opportunity for him to get something for other blacks and it doesn't have to come from his pocket……it is the lib creed to make sure you take from others to make yourself look good as you spread the wealth at the expense of others, so why waste this skill and political opportunity?……He can enhance his status, save his own money and be a political mogul…..Now what can/will he do for America and all the Americans he leaves out of his racial equation, spend the other guys money?…You tell me…..America for Americans is a fact….
IF there are any Reparations due they have long been paid to the Afros and then some When FDR Started the Welfare State Generations of Afros have lived off the Government since from Cradle to the Grave
That freak can kiss off! We do not owe them a damn thing! Go after the dirty Democrats who enslaved you, had forced abortions against black women and they are still doing this! We did not make them slaves, the Democrats did! Go after them! Maybe we should all band together and refuse to pay taxes! How would you like that you imbecile! This will not happen!
Not only are Blacks but Native Americans should be given reparations for the atrocities committed on them as well.
And I think I should sue for $20M for the deaths of the 300,000 who gave their lives so this "person" could make such a ridiculous claim!
Most know that most lottery winners are soon broke. Free money is gone money. Even assuming we were foolish enough to make reparations, as soon as the money ais gone you you will hear about how racist is is that the money disappeared down the drain. Btw Mr. I got-rich-by-pushing-race-identity, How much will you contribute, verifiably?
So he’s oppressed. My Irish ancestors were the first slaves here. I want some too. Mr. billionaire when are you, BLM and the rest of white ( really uneducated college students) going to acknowledge the part African American ancestors played in slave trade. They are equally responsible.
What about people who are immigrants, or are descendants of immigrants who came here after the civil war and never owned slaves? What about all the white folk who fought in the civil war to HELP black folks? The whole country north of the Mason Dixon line? What about the black folks who were GIVEN LAND after the civil war as reparations? What about the founding of Liberia to allow former slaves to return to Africa? What about affirmative action, all the scholarships, programs like United Negro College Fund etc that were started or funded by WHITE folks to help their black brethren? How much of all this is going to be just forgotten about or denied by blacks as they squander the cash payments? I call this blackmail. This country was headed in the right direction for sure, until Obama. Blacks from Africa look at American blacks and shake their heads, thinking what silly moos American blacks are – they don't know what oppression is.
This is totally bullishness, they can take care of their own as Black Billionaire’s.
This man want 14 trillion dollars for the American blacks. There were twice as many Irish slaves then their were blacks. I am a the son of an Irish slave , I want 28 trillion dollars. Whats talk about one trillion , one trillion seconds = 37,500 years. One trillion = one thousands dollars bill stack on top of each other would reach 67 miles into space. President Trump said with 2 trillion dollars, he could rebuild this hole Country, meaning every bridge, building, roads, dames.
Up yours Johnson. You have the nerve to ask for reparations for things that happened almost 200 years ago? Are you nuts? I refuse to accept responsibility for slavery or the sins of my great great great great grandfathers. The funny thing is, you yourself started a strictly segregated and racist black TV network that features only black people, yet every damn commercial and show on what you would consider "white TV networks" feature more black people than ever before, to the point of it being redundant, since black people are 13% of the population whereas white people are 50% of the population. A lot of you black people, mostly uneducated blacks, ask for inclusion and a leg up (Affirmative Action and other Welfare programs), you get it, and yet most of you segregate yourselves from the white race by choice. How hypocritical is that? Instead of asking for more freebies, try educating your own race regarding the path to success, not expecting handouts from the government, rioting and looting at every opportunity, spitting in the face of white people while gladly accepting Welfare programs paid by those same white people's taxes, and playing the race card at every turn.
Be the change you want to see, BET boy. You have billions of dollars but you're calling for wealth redistribution. And yet none of that wealth is going to come from your coffers, is it?
Racist P0S.
Since YOU are a Billionaire, and I am FAR from being a Billionaire, why don't YOU take care of sending those people those "Reparations" ? After all that is only fair considering that YOU have SO much money !
He says that the wealth should be distributed. WELL buddy, start by distributing YOUR wealth!!! Since you have been so blessed with what you have by this terrible racist country, YOU should start the ball rolling by giving every slave you find in this country their share. It's people like you that cause the whites that have never been a racist to suddenly become one. You are truly a hateful person and I sure am glad I don't know you.
poor guy is so oppressed?? give me a break
First, I live in California; and we were never a slave state; second, why don't YOU, Mr. Robert Johnson, give away all your money to pay for reparations; why are you so keen on giving away someone else's money; Anytime the government gives you anything, it comes from taxes that someone paid; no such thing as a free lunch; Praise be to God in all things great and small; Glory to God on high.
hilarious! why should I pay for something I have never participated in? My new saying seems apropos here: If you put race before lives – YOU are the racist, mr. johnson.
Well, send that reparations "bill" to The Democrat Party, as it was THEY who were solely responsible for slavery. By the way, is this black billionaire a…..DEMOCRAT?
Hey dude, contact the democrat party and ask them to foot the bill. That is for democrats ONLY. Northern republicans fought against the southern democrats. It was republicans that freed the slaves. It was republicans that passed the two civil rights bills in the 1950's. LBJ's 1964 civil rights bill would have never passed if not for republicans. Democrats still had members in congress in the late 1970's that were members of the KKK. You want to hear racists speak, just listen to Biden and his son. Remember, son repeats what his father taught him and it is racism. To penalize a nation for the sins of democrats, is equal to condemning all blacks for the crimes of a few. It's insane and pure stupid. Leftists lie and try to blame republicans for what they actually did and still do.
BET founder Robert Johnson calls for $14 trillion of reparations for slavery for the following reasons :
Bye the way, FYI for all of you people, Robert Johnson sold BET to Viacom in 2001