State legislators in New York have passed a bill to launch a commission that will look at the lingering effects and generational impacts of slavery and possibly explore reparations for descendants of enslaved Africans.
The bill was passed after an hours-long debate in the state Assembly. Once it passed the state Senate’s floor hours later, it was sent to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk for her signature.
The legislation would create a group to not only research the pervasive economic, political, educational, and social disparities that stem from the effects of slavery but also examine the extent to which the federal and state government supported the institution of slavery and the current condition of residents of African descent in New York state.
Upon completion of this examination, commission members would recommend “appropriate remedies and reparations” as well as any other “laws, policies, programs” and projects that might be enacted by law. Those reparations could come in the form of monetary compensations for New York’s Black residents. However, nothing is binding, meaning state lawmakers won’t be mandated to vote on the recommendations immediately.
“Reparations is about more than monetary compensation — it’s about atoning and a guarantee of non-repetition,” Assemblymember Michaelle Solages said. “We need to change our political structures and laws to ensure Black New Yorkers are empowered. This is an important step in changing a long history of systemic racism and discrimination.”
The first enslaved Africans arrived at the southern tip of Manhattan Island in the 1620s. It wasn’t until 1817 that New York’s state legislature enacted a bill that freed the state’s enslaved people, but the statute wasn’t enforced until 1827.
If Hochul signs the bill, it will make New York the second major state to study whether to issue reparations. California is the first state to lead this particular charge. In 2020,…
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