Because placing a 'monetary value' on people in the past worked out so well for those on the receiving end. . .

Equity is a way to determine the value of something. The Civil War was partly fought to get rid of that type of thinking toward people(Buying/Selling Humans AKA Slavery); Today's Democrats and Liberals are all about 'Racial Equity'. They'll call anyone a racist for pointing out that placing a fiscal value on people is wrong.