Strands of Genius: Reparations: The Big Payback, Slave Owners Got Reparations, Love As A Kind Of Cure x Reparations

Guest curated by Magogodi Makhene

Jul 15, 2021

:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, MAGOGODI MAKHENE ::

LOCATION: NYC & Cape Town
PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Love As A Kind Of Cure

Morning Sunshine. How goes? And where's the tea? I take mine without sugar and just the fresh green leaves please, thank you. Goodness. So rude. Look at me sliding into your inbox and making myself comfortable with zero introductions. I'm Magogodi. I'm a storyteller. And I suppose I have been. Got my start in apartheid South Africa, where I was born and learned fast how to make meaning of a chaotic world that's equal parts full of wonder and surprise and the most outrageous kinds of injustices. I grew up lost in translation, between the cultural vibrance and violent political repression of my proudly black hometown, Soweto. And the opulent yet spiritually bereft life of my white friends and schools in apartheid era Johannesburg. All this has led to my life as a storyteller. On the page, I write fiction. In real life, I re-write the narrative of white supremacy through our company, Love As A Kind of Cure.

Editor’s Note (Genius Steals Team): Magogodi was recommended to us by another Strands guest curator, and after learning more of her story and what she represents, we knew she would have some great content to share. Thanks for the wonderful links, Magogodi!!

:: THE LINKS ::

REPARATIONS: THE BIG PAYBACK

So you already know the UN's top Human Rights Boss called on Western nations to take a hard look in the mirror and start ponying up for the gross wealth white-power has accumulated--for centuries--through the exploitation of black and brown bodies. Well, it gets deeper. Countries like Germany are finally waking up to what they owe beyond glib statements that to down to, Oh! My bad. Take Namibia, where Germany first ran concentration camps and basically got off scott free for crimes against humanity. That buck is now due. And it's happening in the US too. Mayors across the country, including L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, are pledging to start paying reparations. To me, this is important and necessary progress. BUT. And this ain't small. Reparations need to be a national project, not an a la carte option for progressive cities. The United States became the wealthiest country on earth through the forced enslavement of millions over four hundred years. To pretend any sustainable fix can come through UN declarations, city-led efforts and a side of Juneteenth alone--without federally adopted reparations--is like praying for a reverse on climate change through Earth Day tree plantings alone. (VOA)

SLAVE OWNERS GOT REPARATIONS

Yup. You read that right. Reparations were paid to enslavers. President Lincoln paid $300/enslaved person in 1862 to the white folks who'd enslaved Africans. France exhorted an enormous sum from Haiti, for daring to revolt against slavery and win. Britain paid its enslavers about 17 billion pounds for their hardship and loss when British law abolished slavery. And other countries have done the same. So. The next time someone pipes up about how hard it would be and how long ago slavery was to really make sense of a fair compensation model, please remember the UK government finished paying its "debt" to enslaving-families in 2015! (The Conversation)

LOVE AS A KIND OF CURE X REPARATIONS

We're unpacking all these juicy topics and more at our Freedom Festival JUL 8-29. Check out our lunch conversation with spiritual leader and 2020 Presidential Candidate, Marianne Williamson. Marianne is the only candidate I know whose campaign included reparations and who injected that conversation into main stream media, where talk of reparations has long been sidelined or the punch line of a flaccid joke. Well, joke no more honey. It's time to pay up! And since it won't be cheap--one public policy professor estimates a $20trillion sum --or easy, the biggest challenge facing us right now is owning the truth. Understanding what's owed and why. Hope you'll join us JUL 15 at 1P EST at Love As A Kind of Cure to start figuring out a way forward. (Love As A Kind Of Cure)

Looking for more from Magogodi Makhene? Those enrolled in The School of Stolen Genius will receive a deep dive from her in their inbox shortly! You can access all our expert interviews for SOSG here.

:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::

:: Game :: Fashion is the only sport I follow

:: City :: Jozzie forever. NYC pretty damn close behind

:: Book :: That's like asking JLo to name her fav husband. It's just wrong. This summer, I've loved Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton. The Smell of Apples by Mark Behr is a personally-significant book. And I'm loving Brit Bennet's The Vanishing Half. But you really should have Marcus Samuelsson's The Rise in your kitchen. That tome on black food making American history is the most delicious Bible you'll ever read!

:: Podcast :: Krista Tippett, On Being. And I love Rebecca Minkoff's Superwomen.

:: Album :: Ha! I'm all about the playlist rn. On Heavy rotation: Melissa Laveaux (Nan Pwen Lavi Anko) + Sampa The Great (FEMALE) + Buju Banton/Pharrell (Cherry Pie)

:: READY FOR REPARATIONS? ::

Ready for Reparations July 8 - 29, 2021

American Government, Meet The Black People

Magogodi Makhene

magogodi@lovekindcure.com

Strands of Genius is currently read by 12,000 subscribers. Support us by sponsoring an issue, becoming a member of The School of Stolen Genius or encouraging friends or colleagues to subscribe.

It's called Genius Steals because we believe ideas are new combinations and that nothing can come from nothing. But copying is lazy. We believe the best way to innovate is to look at the best of that which came before and combine those elements into new solutions.

Co-Founders Faris & Rosie are award-winning strategists and creative directors, writers, consultants and public speakers who have been living on the road/runway since March 2013, working with companies all over the world. Our Director of Operations is nomadic like us, our accounting team is based out of Washington, our company is registered in Tennessee, and our collaborators are all over the world. Being nomadic allows us to go wherever clients need us to be, and to be inspired by the world in between.

Hit reply and let’s talk about how we might be able to work together :)

Strands of Genius