It is true that the wealth of the United States was built on the backs of the slaves. Author and reporter for The Atlantic, Ta-Nehisi Coates, explained, "by 1836 more than $600 million, that is almost half of the economic activity in the United States, was acquired directly or indirectly from the cotton provided by the million-odd slaves. And by the time these enslaved were emancipated, and they constituted the largest individual asset in America: $3 billion in 1860 dollars, more than all the other assets in the country combine."

African Americans have never been compensated for the evils of slavery, or their economic contribution. Today, the economic disparity is still enormous. According to 2019 data, the median white household held $188,200 in wealth—7.8 times that of the typical Black household ($24,100).

The students of Georgetown University recently voted in favor of the new "reconciliation fee." They would pay into a fund that would support the descendants of the 272 slaves that were sold in the 19th century to pay off the university's debts. However, this effort would require support from the board office of Georgetown to take effect. If college students understand the need to try to pay for past wrongs, so can the U.S. government.

Americans living today inherited systemic racism and a biased economy from their forebears.  It is all our responsibilities as Americans to help try to somewhat right the wrongs of the past.