- Originally published on Buzzle.com [here]
Chicago city council has passed an ordinance requiring companies doing
business with it to disclose whether they ever profited from the slave
trade. Its Slavery Era Disclosure Ordinance is a boost to the campaign
to make reparations for slavery. It goes further than a Californian
state law which requires insurance companies to disclose their
connections with slavery: some sold policies to slaveholders which paid
out if slaves died or escaped.
The Chicago ordinance was broadened at the last minute to cover all
companies holding contracts with the city, and was passed unanimously.
Seven companies have revealed their history under the Californian law,
and at least 14 big insurance companies are being sued by the
descendants of slaves.
They include Lloyd's of London, JP Morgan Chase, and CSX, which used slaves to build parts of the American railway network.
The US outlawed slavery in 1865.
Alderman Dorothy Tillman, who sponsored the ordinance, said: "The
insurance industry is just the tip of the iceberg. The financial
industry, textile industry, tobacco industry, railroads, shipping
companies and many others got rich off the suffering and free labour of
our ancestors."
The mayor, Richard Daly, said: "This ordinance and resolution will not
prohibit a company from doing business with the city or state, even if
it had once profited from slavery, but it would shine a light on a
disgraceful part of our nation's history."
Mr Daly is the son of the city's most famous mayor, Richard J Daly,
whose mixed record on race relations included being accused of backing
segregation and police brutality in the 1960s and 70s.
"It would help demonstrate how much of the nation's wealth was created by the sweat and blood of slave labour," Mr Daly said.
Ms Tillman said companies which gave the wrong answer to the question
would have their contracts ended: apparently meaning those found to
have falsely claimed no slavery connections, rather than those which
admitted them.
"We want to know what was your role in slavery, what did you do, was
your company built off the backs of slaves," she told the Chicago
Tribune. "If they answer wrong, they can no longer do business with the
city."
Sean McManamy, a spokesman for the American Insurance Association, said
its members would "cooperate fully", but added: "We cooperated in
California, and ... there was not much of a treasure trove of
information waiting to be discovered."