Supreme Court Takes Up Suit from Holocaust Victims Seeking Compensation from Hungary While Still Giving Black Americans the Middle Finger
In a move that underscores the glaring injustices faced by Black Americans, the Supreme Court has once again turned its attention to a lawsuit filed by Holocaust survivors seeking compensation from Hungary for property seized during World War II.
This case highlights how the United States has consistently prioritized reparations for other groups while continually ignoring the profound and ongoing suffering of Black Americans.
The Supreme Court's Double Standards
The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to revisit a long-running lawsuit filed by the families of Holocaust survivors seeking compensation from Hungary and a state-run railway for property seized from Jewish victims in the 1940s.
The core of the case revolves around the question of how far parties must go to prove that property seized during World War II has a commercial connection to the United States, thereby allowing the plaintiffs to bring their case in U.S. courts.
This is not the first time the high court has delved into this issue. In 2021, it wiped away lower court decisions that had favored Holocaust victims. Generally, federal law grants immunity to foreign governments, making it difficult to sue them except in a few narrow circumstances. One of these exceptions allows plaintiffs to sue if their property was taken in violation of international law and if the proceeds have a “commercial nexus” with the United States.
In the current scenario, a court in Washington, D.C., sided with the plaintiffs. However, the cases are on appeal from an appeals court in Washington that had mixed outcomes: siding with the plaintiffs in one case and with Hungary in another.
The Glaring Injustice Faced by Black Americans
While the Supreme Court entertains another case for Holocaust victims, Black Americans continue to be denied justice for the atrocities they have faced for centuries. Despite the United Nations ruling that the United States legally owes reparations to Black Americans, the U.S. government has consistently ignored these directives. The historical and systemic oppression of Black people in America remains unaddressed, with no meaningful reparations ever provided and the saga continuing.
A History of Neglect and Discrimination
Throughout American history, the country has found ways to provide reparations and compensation to various groups, particularly Jewish victims of the Holocaust. While these actions are justified and necessary, it is striking how the same urgency and recognition have never been extended to Black Americans. The transatlantic slave trade, Jim Crow laws, redlining, mass incarceration, and countless other forms of systemic racism have left deep scars on Black communities, yet the U.S. has failed to offer any substantial relief or reparations.
The Need for Justice and Reparations
It is time for the United States to confront its history of racial injustice and make amends. Reparations for Black Americans are not just about compensation but about acknowledging the suffering, trauma, and systemic discrimination that has been inflicted upon them for centuries. By continually prioritizing other cases over the plight of Black Americans, the U.S. sends a clear message that Black lives and experiences are less valuable.
As the Supreme Court takes up yet another case for Holocaust victims, it must be recognized that the fight for justice for Black Americans is far from over. The United States has a moral and ethical obligation to address the profound injustices faced by Black Americans and to provide the reparations they have long been denied. Only then can the nation begin to heal and move towards true equality and justice for all.
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