One of the first reparations cases in the United States (Libguides, 2023) began with Belinda Sutton. Belinda could hold the key for foundational black American descendants of enslaved people to receive reparations as soon as possible.   Belinda Sutton, also known as Belinda Royall, was an enslaved African woman born in Ghana in the late 18th century and brought to the British colony of Massachusetts as a child. She was owned by the Royall family, who were wealthy enslavers and prominent figures in colonial society. Belinda worked as an enslaved person for the Royall family for more than 50 years until age 60. In 1783, Belinda petitioned the Massachusetts legislature for compensation for her years of enslavement and the labor she had provided to the Royall family. She argued that the Royals had promised her freedom and financial support in exchange for her service, but they had not fulfilled their promise. The Massachusetts legislature eventually granted Belinda a pension of 15 pounds