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John, today we’re coming to you with a longer email about reparations.
What are reparations, really, and why are they so important?
It can be easy to forget the essence of what we’re fighting for and that’s why we’re taking a step back and explaining exactly why reparations are so critical in our movement for Black liberation.
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.
This is a direct result of centuries of anti-Black policies and practices and violent white mob attacks on Black communities. Without reparations, the structural discrimination that purposely holds Black people back will continue to thrive — it’s something we simply refuse to accept.
Reparations aren’t going to erase the centuries of slavery, violence, discrimination, and dehumanization that Black people have faced in this country. And they can’t erase the continued harm that Black people are subject to every day.
But they are a concrete way to address and repair this harm.
This isn’t an ask, it’s a demand. Millions of Black people in this country have long been owed reparations, and it’s time that they receive them in an effort to help close the racial wealth gap that long stems from slave legacies and anti-Black capitalist practices.
This becomes even more important as we’re in an election year. We’re going to hold all legislators and public officials accountable for centering Black liberation as part of their platform.
If you agree, add your name now to demand reparations from the Government.
The government and corporations that have profited off the backs of Black Americans' labor won’t pay up willingly. It’s up to us to keep the pressure on until we achieve reparations.
We can promise we won’t back down in this fight until we achieve Black liberation — reparations are a key part of that.
In solidarity,
Black Lives Matter
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