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Tell Congress:
"The sad reality is the economic prosperity of the United States was built on the forced labor of millions of enslaved people. It is time to call a vote in Congress on commissioning a reparations study. H.R. 40 now has 141 co-sponsors in the U.S. House, but no vote has been scheduled. Pass the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act this year."
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John,
There are now 141 co-sponsors to H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act. While a vote has not been scheduled, yet. There is good news: This critical legislation is gaining momentum!
Last month, alone, 10 more members of Congress added their name as co-sponsors.
In addition to examining the ramifications of slavery and calling for a study of reparations, the legislation, introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), documents that "following the abolition of slavery the United States Government, at the Federal, State, and local level, continued to perpetuate, condone and often profit from practices that continued to brutalize and disadvantage African-Americans, including share cropping, convict leasing, Jim Crow, redlining, unequal education, and disproportionate treatment at the hands of the criminal justice system."1
Let's keep up the pressure on our members of Congress. Join CHN and our national coalition to demand Congress finally votes upon legislation to study reparations to move our nation forward and end systemic racial inequality.
The legislation further states, "as a result of the historic and continued discrimination, African-Americans continue to suffer debilitating economic, educational, and health hardships including but not limited to having nearly 1,000,000 black people incarcerated; an unemployment rate more than twice the current white unemployment rate; and an average of less than 1/16 of the wealth of white families, a disparity which has worsened, not improved over time."
Thankfully, in recent months, a multi-racial coalition across the country has begun demanding an end to systemic racism, including an end to police violence against Black people. We are on the verge of making real progress.
Join CHN and our national coalition to demand Congress pass H.R. 40 to study reparations to move our nation forward and end systemic racial inequality. Sign if you agree!
As part of our efforts to address the systemic racism embedded with in our society, we must successfully address our country's "original sin"—slavery.
Calling on Congress to vote for the passage of H.R. 40 is an important step in that long and difficult process. Thank you for your continued help to fight for vulnerable people throughout our country.
Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs
1 https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/40/text
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