Former NFL player Herschel Walker said in a Congressional hearing that Black Americans should not receive slavery reparations.
On Wednesday, Walker joined conservative commentator Larry Elder to speak about his opposition to the HR40 bill, introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) in 2019.
“This bill establishes the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans. The commission shall examine slavery and discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies,” according to Congress.
Walker, who was an NFL running back for 14 years, said the country uses “Black power to create white guilt.”
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“My approach is biblical. How can I ask my heavenly father to forgive me if I can’t forgive my brother? My religion teaches togetherness. Reparation teaches separation,” Walker said in his testimony. “Slavery ended over 130 years ago.”
During the nearly six-minute video, Walker called the United States “the greatest country on Earth” and noted that people across the world have “died trying to get into America — no one is dying trying to get out.”
He continued, “Reparations: where would the money come from? Does it come from all the other races except the Black taxpayers? Who is Black? What percentage of Black must you be to receive reparations? Do you go to 23andMe or a DNA test to determine the percentage of Blackness?”
Walker said that some Black Americans don’t have ties to ancestors who were slaves.
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“Some American ancestors just came to this country 80 years ago, their ancestors weren’t even here during slavery,” Walker added. “Some Black immigrants weren’t here during slavery, nor their ancestors. Some states didn’t even have slavery.”
In October, Walker opposed celebrities for their claims that Black Americans are oppressed in a tweet where he tagged former President Donald Trump, civil rights attorney Leo Terrell and conservative outlets.
“We’re not oppressed we’re BLESSED in the USA!! The American Dream is the envy of all other countries. Vote to keep our freedom.”
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