Trump-supporting Democrat: Reparations should start with Africa, 'That's where we were sold from'

Georgia Democratic State Rep. Vernon Jones, who endorsed President Donald Trump, told Just the News that any federal study of slavery reparations should start with Africa since “that’s where we were sold from” originally.

Jones was asked for his opinion of House Democrats' Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act, which if passed and signed into law would establish a committee to "examine slavery and discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies.” 

“If they studied the issue of reparations a lot of white people should receive reparations because we all intertwined and intermingled now,” Jones said during a video interview at the Falkirk Center's Freedom Summit.

“We’re moving forward and how do we move forward? By creating opportunities for people to open businesses, to be gainfully employed to achieve the American dream. That's what they want. It is too late for 40 acres and a mule. Nobody is looking for that -- what people are looking for is access to the American dream. If you open those doors, that is reparation, and everybody can benefit from those reparations, everybody,” he also said.

Jones expanded on his point that reparations would be difficult to implement as direct payments.

“Let's start with Africa in terms of reparations, that's where we were sold from. As a matter of fact, we need to have a conversation with Africa for African Americans. That's where we came from. That's where we were sold from. So if we're going to really do this, let's go back to where it started and let's see whose fingers are really on this and go from there,” he said.

“But we just can't willy nilly. What are you going to do it based on DNA tests? How are you going to do it? It's alright to talk about it but that is -- do I think there's an injustice done to blacks in this country? Absolutely including my father, who was a World War II veteran who was not treated fairly, but he loved this country, still the best country on Earth,” he added.

Jones suggested that the name of the "Democratic Party" should be changed as part of any reparations proposal the government might adopt in the future.

“If we're going to do this whole reparation thing, then let us look at changing the name of the Democratic Party. Let's make that a part of reparations. Why? The Democratic Party, most of them were Confederates who fought, who did not want slaves to be free. Members of the Democratic Party started the Ku Klux Klan,” Jones said during the video interview.

While critiquing the history of the Democratic Party, Jones referred to Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, as "a Democrat who said that African-Americans were intellectually just dysfunctional and defected."

"She went out to sterilize and have as many abortions as she could to literally genocide a whole black community, if it were left up to her. Let's look at most Democrats did not vote for the Civil Rights Act or the Voting Rights Act. And then you have Joe Biden in modern day saying that if you don't vote for him, you ain't black," Jones said.

"So let's start with changing the Democratic Party. Let's look into Nancy Pelosi's background and see if she has some relatives that are Confederate-ly connected then let's ask her to step down from being Speaker of the House," he also said.

Jones recommended that any reparations not be provided in the form of a direct payment.

"Let's look at it in a form of giving people opportunities, making sure our children are educated so they can compete globally, making sure if anybody wants to be able to be a homeowner, or someone wants to start their own business, let's make those reparations and that way it is colorblind it is gender blind and people have opportunities," he said. 

"People don't want things given to them. They want to be able to earn it, but you have to make it available for them. So with hard work and perseverance that they can achieve it. That's really what it's about. That's the true reparations," he added.

Full interview: