Why Minnesota's Somali Community Should Get $200 Million in Reparations for Justice and Relief
By Don Allen (Editorial Opinion)
Let us just say it loud: if we really care about fairness and economic justice, then Minnesota's Somali community should get $200 million in reparations. Yes, I said it. $200 Million.. To be honest, that might be a low price.
Before anyone gets upset or writes a post on Facebook, let me explain. This is not about giving them money out of kindness. This is not about favoring them over others. This is about paying a debt that's long overdue.
For years, Minnesota has said it is a place where people can come to start a new life. Many Somali families came to Minnesota running away from war and violence. They did not come asking for pity. For a chance to make a new life. What they got was a bag: some good things, but also a lot of suspicion and stereotypes. They had to prove themselves over and over again.
They did prove themselves. They started businesses in neighborhoods that others had given up on. They made old stores and buildings look new again. They worked in hospitals, drove buses, made things in factories, taught in schools, and started their businesses. They had children who did well in school, went to college, and became leaders in their communities. They paid taxes, opened stores, coached soccer teams, and shoveled snow off sidewalks. In words, they worked hard and did what we say we admire.
Somehow, people still talk about them unfairly. They use code words like "integration" and "burden" to make it seem like the Somali community is a problem. If being strong and resilient were money, the Somali community would be very rich.
We should also talk about the cost of being treated unfairly. Imagine moving to a country and being seen as both very visible and invisible at the same time. You are visible when people talk about crime. Invisible when they make important decisions. You are visible when they criticize your clothes. Invisible when they give out money to help businesses. That kind of treatment is not free. It costs a lot in terms of stress, missed opportunities, and money that could have been passed down to generations.
$200 million starts to sound like a price when you think about all the dignity and respect that the Somali community has been denied.
Let us not forget that Minnesota has benefited from the Somali community. We like to talk about how diverse and global our state's. We use pictures of restaurants and markets in our travel brochures. We celebrate their festivals and take photos with the mayor. It is good for business to look like we're inclusive. If we can make money from the image of inclusion we can invest in the people who make it real.
Giving reparations to the community would not be about feeling guilty. It would be about growing and investing in the future. If we invest in housing, small businesses, programs for young people, mental health services, and education, it would not only help the Somali community but also make Minnesota a better place. It would show that we understand what partnership means.
Some people say reparations should be limited to historical events. That is fine. Let us define reparations as payments for the barriers the Somali community faced upon arriving in Minnesota. Let us define them as compensation for being scrutinized and treated unfairly. Let us define them as justice for a community that was welcomed with one hand and watched with the other. We can define reparations in a way that makes sense when we have the will to do it.
Before anyone asks this is not about comparing who has suffered more. Pain is not a competition. This is about recognizing the Somali community's contributions and the obstacles they have faced. When we see gaps in homeownership, business loans, and education, we do not fix them with words. We fix them with investment.
A principle is at stake here. Minnesota likes to think of itself as a thinking state. Being forward-thinking means more than just talking about it. It means putting our money where our mouth is. If we really believe in equality and fairness, then giving reparations to the community is not a radical idea but a logical one.
We already give millions of dollars to companies to get them to move to Minnesota. We offer them tax breaks. Build new roads. The Somali community is not going anywhere. They are raising their children here, building businesses, and making Minnesota their home. They are not going to leave if someone offers them a deal.
So let us be bold. Let us draft a bill to allocate $200 million to the community. Let us call it what it is: an investment in stability, justice, and shared prosperity. If we give this money to community-led programs, it will likely pay off in reduced social service costs, more businesses, and stronger community engagement. The math works, even if it makes some people uncomfortable.
Maybe being uncomfortable is the point. Growth and change often require us to be uncomfortable.
At the end of the day, reparations are about acknowledging the past and the present. They are about saying, "We see the barriers you faced. We recognize the weight you carried. We understand that being strong and resilient should not be the reward for hardship." They are about turning our words into actions.
Minnesota likes to think of itself as a place. Here is a chance to prove it.
Let us give the community $200 million. Let us call it justice. Let us call it relief. Let us call it economics. Just do not call it radical to invest in a community that has already invested much in us. Minnesota's Somali community should get $200 million in reparations for justice and relief.
Before anyone gets upset or writes a post on Facebook, let me explain. This is not about giving them money out of kindness. This is not about favoring them over others. This is about paying a debt that's long overdue.
For years, Minnesota has said it is a place where people can come to start a new life. Many Somali families came to Minnesota running away from war and violence. They did not come asking for pity. For a chance to make a new life. What they got was a bag: some good things, but also a lot of suspicion and stereotypes. They had to prove themselves over and over again.
They did prove themselves. They started businesses in neighborhoods that others had given up on. They made old stores and buildings look new again. They worked in hospitals, drove buses, made things in factories, taught in schools, and started their businesses. They had children who did well in school, went to college, and became leaders in their communities. They paid taxes, opened stores, coached soccer teams, and shoveled snow off sidewalks. In words, they worked hard and did what we say we admire.
Somehow, people still talk about them unfairly. They use code words like "integration" and "burden" to make it seem like the Somali community is a problem. If being strong and resilient were money, the Somali community would be very rich.
We should also talk about the cost of being treated unfairly. Imagine moving to a country and being seen as both very visible and invisible at the same time. You are visible when people talk about crime. Invisible when they make important decisions. You are visible when they criticize your clothes. Invisible when they give out money to help businesses. That kind of treatment is not free. It costs a lot in terms of stress, missed opportunities, and money that could have been passed down to generations.
$200 million starts to sound like a price when you think about all the dignity and respect that the Somali community has been denied.
Let us not forget that Minnesota has benefited from the Somali community. We like to talk about how diverse and global our state's. We use pictures of restaurants and markets in our travel brochures. We celebrate their festivals and take photos with the mayor. It is good for business to look like we're inclusive. If we can make money from the image of inclusion we can invest in the people who make it real.
Giving reparations to the community would not be about feeling guilty. It would be about growing and investing in the future. If we invest in housing, small businesses, programs for young people, mental health services, and education, it would not only help the Somali community but also make Minnesota a better place. It would show that we understand what partnership means.
Some people say reparations should be limited to historical events. That is fine. Let us define reparations as payments for the barriers the Somali community faced upon arriving in Minnesota. Let us define them as compensation for being scrutinized and treated unfairly. Let us define them as justice for a community that was welcomed with one hand and watched with the other. We can define reparations in a way that makes sense when we have the will to do it.
Before anyone asks this is not about comparing who has suffered more. Pain is not a competition. This is about recognizing the Somali community's contributions and the obstacles they have faced. When we see gaps in homeownership, business loans, and education, we do not fix them with words. We fix them with investment.
A principle is at stake here. Minnesota likes to think of itself as a thinking state. Being forward-thinking means more than just talking about it. It means putting our money where our mouth is. If we really believe in equality and fairness, then giving reparations to the community is not a radical idea but a logical one.
We already give millions of dollars to companies to get them to move to Minnesota. We offer them tax breaks. Build new roads. The Somali community is not going anywhere. They are raising their children here, building businesses, and making Minnesota their home. They are not going to leave if someone offers them a deal.
So let us be bold. Let us draft a bill to allocate $200 million to the community. Let us call it what it is: an investment in stability, justice, and shared prosperity. If we give this money to community-led programs, it will likely pay off in reduced social service costs, more businesses, and stronger community engagement. The math works, even if it makes some people uncomfortable.
Maybe being uncomfortable is the point. Growth and change often require us to be uncomfortable.
At the end of the day, reparations are about acknowledging the past and the present. They are about saying, "We see the barriers you faced. We recognize the weight you carried. We understand that being strong and resilient should not be the reward for hardship." They are about turning our words into actions.
Minnesota likes to think of itself as a place. Here is a chance to prove it.
Let us give the community $200 million. Let us call it justice. Let us call it relief. Let us call it economics. Just do not call it radical to invest in a community that has already invested much in us. Minnesota's Somali community should get $200 million in reparations for justice and relief.
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