The notion that reparations for Black Americans are a viable method of addressing the aftermath of slavery and white supremacy in the United States has a long history.
After the Civil War, the federal government planned to give a minimum of 40 acres of abandoned and confiscated land and a mule to each formerly enslaved family of four. Reparations have been debated since the end of the Civil War, and efforts to implement them into legislation continue today.
In 2019, State Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee introduced H.R. 40, which created the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act. The purpose of the commission was to examine slavery and colonial history in the United States from 1619 to the present. But some argue that H.R. 40 is actually harmful.
“From Here to Equality” is a book that looks at the economic divide between Black and white Americans — and how financial reparations can help bridge the gap. It offers a program of Black reparations that calls for the U.S. government to authorize payments to those who have been impacted by slavery and American anti-Black racism.
Guest:
William Darity Jr. and Kirsten Mullen are co-authors of the book "From Here to Equality: Reparations For Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century."
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255 or email thesource@tpr.org.
This interview will be recorded Tuesday, January 2, 2024.
