The topic of reparations for Black Americans, mainly those descended from enslaved people, has been the focal point of an increasing number of conversations across the U.S. Discussions often revolve around redressing historical injustices. However, reparations offer multifaceted benefits beyond addressing past wrongs to the direct recipients and the broader U.S. populace. Here's a closer look at why reparations can be seen as an investment in the future of America.     Economic Upliftment and Growth     Reparations, in the form of financial compensation or resources, can act as a stimulus in economically disadvantaged communities. An investment in the Black community would, by extension, uplift the nation's economy.    According to Darity & Mullen (2020), the racial wealth gap, intensified by systemic discrimination, can be addressed significantly through reparations, potentially leading to greater economic parity and increased spending power. ...

California Reparations Task Force Recommends Payments for Qualifying Black Residents   The California Reparations Task Force suggested during a public meeting in Oakland, California, that the state should offer payments of up to $1.2 million to qualified Black residents and formally apologize to them. The task force, consisting of nine members, will send this recommendation to the state's legislators.  Representative Barbara Lee, D-Calif., who attended the meeting, emphasized the moral justifiability of reparations and their potential to address long-standing racial disparities and inequalities. Furthermore, the panel's recommendation provides specific payment breakdowns for various types of historical discrimination. For instance, Black residents who experienced redlining by banks would receive $3,366 each year they lived in California between the early 1930s and the late 1970s. The total payment for those living in the state during this period would be up to $148,099. Here a...

   Laura Trevelyan, an anchor and correspondent with the BBC was shocked to discover her ancestors had enslaved Africans on the Caribbean island of Grenada. Despite abolishing slavery, none of the families of the enslaved received reparations, including those of more than a thousand Africans enslaved by Trevelyan's ancestors.  To make amends, she and David Lascelles co-founded Heirs of Slavery, a group encouraging wealthy British families who profited from past enslavement to make formal apologies and seek reparative justice in the former Caribbean colonies. Today in Grenada, 7 members of the Trevelyan family presented a formal letter of apology to the people of this Caribbean island. “We apologize for the actions of our ancestors in holding your ancestors in slavery.” 104 members of the Trevelyan family signed the apology. pic.twitter.com/9pDqesJXNU — Laura Trevelyan (@LauraTrevelyan) February 27, 2023   The group is lobbying the British government to engage with ...

Macon, Georgia Mayhem    After leaving Little India Restaurant, a man allegedly attacked people and cars on Cherry Street in Macon, Georgia. Witnesses tackled him to the ground, including an off-duty Hummingbird security guard and a woman who was pepper-sprayed during the incident. The Bibb County Sheriff's Office is still investigating, and the victim in the hospital is expected to be okay. Daniel Perry- Murder Or Self Defense?    Here are the court documents: Court filing in Daniel Perr... by Houston Chronicle  Twitter was shocked: Holy shit. This is the guy who Greg Abbott has promised to pardon for murder. This is ONE PAGE of the 76 just released. Here, Daniel Perry says “I will only shoot the [protestors] in front and push the pedal to the metal.” pic.twitter.com/Bg8r7SUtQH — Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) April 14, 2023   Attack on Two Black Men In Pittsburg A white man was arrested in Pittsburgh following a racially motivated stabbing incident...

Bronx Family Calls For Justice   A woman named Karen Ivery caused a scene at a Target store in Ohio when she demanded reparations from the store's manager while checking out her $1,000 grocery bill. The police report stated that Ivery repeatedly brought up the topic of reparations and became increasingly angry and aggressive toward the manager. A loss prevention officer, Zach Cotter, tried to calm her down, but she followed him to his office and forced her way in. A surveillance video showed Cotter punching Ivery in the face, causing her to fall to the floor. Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Police arrived at the scene and arrested Ivery, who compared her situation to Rosa Parks and did not want to explain her actions to the officers. The Detroit Reparations  Plan Detroit has formed a committee to address reparations and looked to other cities across the country for inspiration. However, some Detroit civil rights leaders are doubtful about the committee's ability to ac...

   #cutthecheck #reparationsnow #balancethescales Both Sides of the Conversation. (2023, March 26). San Francisco Reparations Rally and Supervisor Chamber Hearing [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjyAAZ9Pco8

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 pou...

  The Emancipation Proclamation was a historic document signed as law by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War. The proclamation declared that all enslaved people in Confederate states were to be free, effectively ending slavery in the United States. This document was a pivotal moment in American history, as it marked the first step towards the abolition of slavery and the recognition of the rights of black Americans. The Emancipation Proclamation resulted from the mounting pressures on the Union government during the Civil War. Lincoln recognized that slavery was the leading cause of the conflict and that it was necessary to end the practice to secure the Union's victory. He also believed that the proclamation would help diminish the support for the Confederacy and boost the morale of Union soldiers. The Emancipation Proclamation was significant, but slavery was abolished in the US with the passage of the 13th Amendment in 1865. The 13th Amend...