John,
Why reparations? Reparations are about the need and demand to repair the historical and ongoing damage to descendants of Africans enslaved in the United States. For our folks, this is about never forgetting the experiences of our ancestors.
What would it mean? It means repairing and encompassing the full range of past and ongoing harms to Black people.
Since when have we called for reparations? The first demands for reparations were made by enslaved people pre-Civil War era, and since emancipation, there have been long-standing movements demanding reparations throughout the U.S., the Caribbean, Africa, and the Diaspora.
When systems of white supremacy go unaddressed, we end up with various forms of harm against Black people. The lack of accountability on the U.S. government's part is why we're still seeing policies that are quite literally made to hold Black people down.
Structural discrimination will only be fully addressed through reparations and would encompass the full range of past and ongoing harms to Black people. We need to fight harder than ever to demand reparations from the government. Sign the petition to President Biden and Congress demanding reparations >>
Despite the odds against us, we've stayed on the come up, and continue to thrive in various aspects of life. Black women are the most educated demographic in the U.S. Just 12 years after Barack Obama made history as the first Black president to be elected, Vice President Kamala Harris became the first Black woman to hold the 2nd highest office in the country. And in the previous 2 Presidential election cycles, Black voter turnout hit all-time highs, even electing the first Black senator ever to Georgia.
While we have many strengths, we cannot ignore the disproportionate financial gaps. Black people in the U.S. have been forced to grapple with structural discrimination — experiencing the highest rates of poverty, unemployment, low wages, health disparities, incarceration inequities, and so much more. We must repair not just individual injuries but transform historically white supremacist institutions into ones that enable Black liberation.
Businesses and corporations should loudly announce their public support for reparations immediately if they truly believe that Black Lives Matter.
We've said it many times before: Black Lives Mattering is the minimum. We deserve to thrive, not just survive. Sign the petition demanding reparations from the government NOW! >>
In love and solidarity,
Black Lives Matter
