What is governmental “Reparations for Slavery”?
From Rashawn Ray and Andre M. Perry in “Why we need Reparations for Black Americans”:
“Today, the average white family has roughly 10 times the amount of wealth as the average Black family. White college graduates have over seven times more wealth than Black college graduates. Making the American Dream an equitable reality demands the same U.S. government that denied wealth to Blacks restore that deferred wealth through reparations to their descendants in the form of individual cash payments in the amount that will close the Black-white racial wealth divide. Additionally, reparations should come in the form of wealth-building opportunities that address racial disparities in education, housing, and business ownership.”
Legislation
- H.478 An act relating to establishing a task force to study and consider a State apology and proposal for reparations for the institution of slavery. https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2020/H.478
Get Involved
News Media
- From Forbes: “Reparations Now: Why White People Must Join The Call To Pay Reparations For Slavery”
- From USA Today, “Reconsider Reparations. We need them morally and economically, and we can afford them.”
- From The Washington Post: “Slavery Reparations seem Impossible. In many places, they’re already happening.”
- From The Atlantic: The Case for Reparations
- From the New York Times: What Reparations for Slavery Might Look Like in 2019
Distribute your Wealth
“In the past few years, several groups have found success pursuing restitution at the local level, instead of awaiting aid that the federal government is disinclined to give. New policies in Chicago and at Georgetown University suggest a specific set of conditions that could lead to action: an institution culpable in the past and still in existence; a discrete and identifiable population able to show that they or their ancestors suffered harm; and a community to fight on the claimants’ behalf. At the local level, activists have more immediate access to institutional pressure points, while decision-makers are often less shielded from criticism and thus more likely to yield.” (From Thai Jones in “Slavery Reparations seem Impossible. In many places, they’re already happening”)
- Wealth Redistribution for Black People in Vermont
- Black Owned Businesses in VT
- Buy Black-owned
- Donate to Drinking Gourd to support a group of queer Black and Indigenous movement leaders who want to purchase land in Addison County: “The vision is to hold retreats for Black leaders (centering Afro-Indigenous queer folks and femme folx), as well as provide a place of respite for Black Vermonters.” Donate here: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/ctwo and write Drinking Gourd in the memo, or here: https://www.paypal.me/DrinkingGourd
The following video clip contains mature language.