Rep. Cori Bush Rekindles Advocacy for Federal Reparations Bill
According to Rep. Bush, the proposal seeks $14 trillion in funds to address the “racial wealth gap” specifically for Black Americans.
On Wednesday, Rep. Cori Bush introduced a resolution urging the federal government to compensate descendants of enslaved Africans and individuals of African descent. At a press conference on Capitol Hill, Rep. Bush was joined by other House Democrats, including Rep. Barbara Lee (Calif.), Rep. Jamaal Bowman (N.Y.), and Rep. Rashid Tlaib (Mich.), to emphasize that the bill will complement previous reparations legislation and ongoing initiatives at the state and local levels. A draft of the resolution, shared with The Washington Post, asserts that the United States has both a moral and legal obligation to provide reparations for the enslavement of Africans and the enduring harm it inflicted on millions of Black individuals in the country.
Furthermore, it advocates for $14 trillion in reparations for Black Americans to address the racial wealth gap, which reparations proponents argue is a direct outcome of racist government policies.
During the press conference, Bush emphasized, “Black people in our country cannot afford to wait any longer for our government to acknowledge and rectify the immense harm it has caused throughout history, which continues to impact our communities daily.” She emphasized that slavery and discrimination are not insignificant chapters of American history.
She further stated, “Our nation was not established on the principle of equality for all. It was built upon the sacrifice of Black lives, the theft of African individuals, whose enslavement, exploitation, and dehumanization were enshrined in the Constitution.”
Advocates for reparations often highlight Jim Crow laws, discriminatory housing policies, and disparities within the justice system as instances of ongoing discrimination subsequent to the Emancipation Proclamation.
The discussion around reparations is nothing new. It’s something that has been advocated for since the end of slavery.
In 2021, Evanston, Ill., became the first U.S. city to create a reparations plan for Black residents. Then in 2022, Harvard University established a $100 million fund for descendants of enslaved people.
Bush’s Reparations Now resolution comes after California’s Reparations Task Force endorsed a series of proposals this month to pay up to $1.2 million to each descendant of enslaved people living in the state.
