ISHWORLD: The International Search for Humanity

JULY 17, 2026

912 Words

The lifetime economic power of humans and what it could mean for reparations for slavery, families, communities, nations and the world  

By Ishmael-Lateef Ahmad

Columnist-at-Large 

Human potential – either used or unused – can be counted in many ways, especially in money.

Recently, the leaders of the West African nation of Ghana, along with other African nations, led a landmark United Nations resolution vote officially declaring the transatlantic slave trade and racialized chattel enslavement as “the gravest crime against humanity.”

The March 25, 2026 U.N. resolution was passed by the General Assembly with 123 votes in favor with three votes – from the United States, Israel and Argentina – against. (Is that the same Israel that asked for – and was given – a homeland in Palestine due to massive European persecution during WWII?) 

Another 52 nations (including the European Union and the United Kingdom blocs) abstained from the vote, citing legal and historical liability concerns. The resolution does not call for financial penalties but urges countries to consider compensation, apologies and a return of looted cultural property. 

Since the vote, Ghana continues to lead on the U.N. momentum by hosting summits with global leaders and the African diaspora discussing historical injustice and practical implementation strategies. And rightfully so. The extraction of millions of Africans stolen and sold into slavery over several centuries – followed by the near total colonization of Africa by both European and Asian countries, the African continent was denied both the brain power and physical power of the stolen Africans who were made to toil for free in other lands. The result was a highly developed non-African world and a diminished Africa.

Perhaps, today, with African nations stepping into the room, the results may have an impact on reparations discussions for the entire African Diaspora.

As an American teenager during the 1960s, I occasionally heard adults talking about reparations and the long unfulfilled promise of “40 acres and a mule” to be paid to former slaves. The promise was made by a union army officer during the Civil War in the mid-1800s. The unfulfilled promise of reparations haunts African-Americans to this day.

The evils of slavery, racism and post-slavery era discrimination limited African-American access to education and earning power. Poverty, racial discrimination and second-class citizenship was the order of the day for more than a century after slavery ended in the United States. 

While, as a teen, I had no real concept of the economic value of 40 acres and a mule, I met a man who spent his spare time studying reparations. He came up with the figure of one million dollars per person as a just reparations amount for each African-American descendant of former slaves.

Back then, I had a gut feeling that one million dollars sounded kind of far-fetched, even after he explained that we needed enough money to start new lives, even in Africa. Now, all these years later, I think he was on track with a million dollar payment for hundreds of years of free labor to build one of the greatest nations on earth.

Yes, I said it. A million-dollar reparations check for the unjust institution of slavery sounds about right. Maybe even more. Here’s why I think a million dollars (or more) per person seems justifiable today for slavery reparations.

The world rebuilt Europe and Japan after the destruction of World War II. (Europe was rebuilt twice if you count World War I). And yet, denied hope and opportunity, the slums that African-Americans lived in as “free” people could not be rebuilt and are still slums today, even far larger in size than before.

Studies are showing that the average lifetime earnings potential of a person is between $1.7 million and $2.7 million. On the low end, workers with less skills and education will likely earn an average of $770,000 in their lifetime.

That same study, called The College Payoff and conducted by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, said that education and careers are the main determinants as to the amount a person earns. High school graduates can expect to earn $1.3 million in their lifetime during a 40 year period.

Those with bachelor degrees will likely earn upwards of $2.3 million dollars during their working years. And of course, those with higher degrees or working jobs that pay much higher than average wages, will earn more, upwards of $5 million based on industry, college major and career paths.

In a civilian courtroom, if you can prove someone harmed you or someone related to you – such as kidnapping, raping, holding captive and forced to work for free – you likely would win that case. The criminal would go to jail and in a civil settlement, the victim or their relations might receive a settlement of millions of dollars. The government that would honor you for the wrong done to you and yours, is the same government that does not want to pay for what former government officials did to your ancestors. You get the point.

Human value is real. And comes at a high price. Continuing to look the other way when it is someone else’s turn to receive a just payment is not just wrong, it is inhuman.

Our money systems are based on gold, silver, oil and other non-human items. Isn’t it time we based our true value on humanity?

(ISHWORLD: The International Search for Humanity is a complimentary column created and distributed to media by freelance journalist Ishmael-Lateef Ahmad. Based in St. Louis, Mo., he can be reached via ishworldcolumn@gmail.com or his website at https://payhip.com/ISHWORLDcolumns)

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