GQ!
If we’re paying out descendants of slaves, we should probably also pay out the descendants of the Native Americans, after all the “white man” wiped out 100 million of them by some estimations. I’m not sure if direct payments are the answer though, for the price would never be high enough if you really think about what was being compensated for (pain, suffering, generations of wages, sexual abuse, rape, murder, torture, with compounded interest all adjusted for inflation), plus it really should come from the slave owning states, and not the ones that supported emancipation.
I think it makes much more sense to focus on creating opportunities for black children to succeed and realize their potential. I think we should be pouring money into inner-city schools, hiring the best teachers, giving them access to the best technology. You should see the divide between the white schools and the black schools near me. Of course they’re not de jure segregated, but if you survey the demographics you’d have a hard time telling the difference. That would be a much better use of our money than payouts, and I think it’s probably what the ghosts of the former slaves would choose if they could have a voice.