Dr. Phil McGraw doesn’t think it would be a good idea for the U.S. government to hand broke people large checks.
The talk show host discussed reparations with his guest William A. Darity Jr., a Duke University professor who co-authored From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century.
Darity said every Black descendant of slavery should receive $350,000 in reparations. But Dr. Phil said handing broke people that much money would be “an absolute disaster.”
He also wondered where the U.S. government would find $14 trillion to give reparations to that many Black Americans.
“I can tell you from a psychological perspective that if you take $350,000 or $840,000, and you write a check to any group of people, Black, white, poor, homeless, whatever, you give any group of people that much money and say, ‘There you go, best of luck,’ you come back in six months, they’re going to be broke. Whatever reparations are done, that would be an absolute disaster, as opposed to guidance and help in creating generational wealth, as opposed to income.”
Darity explained that only some of the folks receiving the cash would be irresponsible with their money.
Black Twitter weighed in on the reparations issue. Many on Black Twitter blasted Dr. Phil for blocking their potential blessings.
“Dr. Phil is a f–king idiot,” wrote one Twitter user.
“Cash Reparations are owed & I don’t give a f–k what anyone “thinks” about it. The law is the law, crimes against humanity never expire, wage theft is illegal. Black Americans are owed what was taken from us. F–k all this talk. #CutTheCheck.”
Another person tweeted: “Dr. Phil got some nerve after Okra put him on!”
While a third person wrote:
“Black American Slaves fought in the Civil War. Also Reparations is paid because of past harm, a war does not erase the harm. Example: America saved Jewish people from extinction and they are STILL getting CASH Reparations from multiple countries because of the harm done.”
Let’s be clear: why would we be asking the opinion of a white man about reparations? When did slave owners like for slaves to be free? Someone answer. The point is Dr. Phil doesn’t have to like it, we’re owed a debt, let us mess it up or not mess it up. It’s ours!
— Ra’Shada Bruce (@Bruce_Shada) April 20, 2023
Quit your job and wait for it.
— Vanessa Atalanta Wisedog (@Wisedog4) April 20, 2023
You two do realize reps won’t ever happen, right? Covid payments of $600 and $1200/person were a total disaster, and cost a trillion $. You think the fed govt will spend $14 trillion?!?! Hahahaha AND it wouldn’t end racism or unfairness!!! It’s a joke, stop it
— Clinton (@ClintonOftedahl) April 21, 2023