Justice demands reparations: Socialist candidate on Black History Month

California’s 37th district socialist congressional candidate John Parker declared that “justice demands reparations” at the beginning of Black History Month. While supporting the efforts of California legislators to secure restitution of stolen property and other important items, Parker believes more has to be fought for.

“Over 50 years ago, the Staples Singers asked ‘when will we be paid for the work we’ve done?'” said John Parker. “The money is there. Just the four richest California billionaires have a total stash of over $600 billion. All of their loot represents the unpaid wages of workers that produced that vast wealth.”

Parker pointed out that “Biden can hand over $14 billion to Israel to kill over 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza, of whom over 10,000 were children. Meanwhile SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, were cut by a monthly average of $90 per household last year. Gaza’s children are literally starving while millions in the United States are forced to line up for food banks.

“Reparations include bringing home the sisters and brothers who’ve been railroaded to prison,” said Parker. “Trump and all the other corporate gangsters, banksters and slumlords should be locked up instead.”

The socialist candidate declared that “capitalist deindustrialization has deliberately targeted Black workers. While 50 years ago General Motors was the largest employer of Black workers, who were members of the United Auto Workers, today more Black workers are employed at low-wage, non-union Walmart than anywhere else.

“Stopping the war against Black people will be a victory for all poor and working people,” said John Parker. “It goes hand-in-hand with demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and justice for Palestine.”

John Thompson Parker is a member of the Socialist Unity Party who’s running as the Peace and Freedom Party candidate for the 37th congressional district, which includes much of South Los Angeles, as well as parts of Culver City and Inglewood. He was jailed in Egypt while part of a solidarity delegation seeking to bring aid to Gaza.

John Parker can be contacted at John.Parker@voteforsocialism.org.