A South Side Chicago pastor has denounced the demand by Boston activists for "white churches" to pay reparations to the city's Black community, calling it "absurd" and an attempt to exploit "people's shame and guilt."
Christian leaders in Boston are demanding that "white churches" pay reparations to the city's Black community, a move that has sparked a fiery debate and drawn criticism from a prominent Chicago pastor. Corey Brooks, a South Side Chicago pastor, slammed the demand as "absurd" and an attempt to exploit "people's shame and guilt."
The latest push for reparations comes as California formally apologized for its role in slavery, joining a growing trend of local and state governments establishing task forces to recommend the implementation of reparations. In Boston, task force members will propose measures based on historical research and other factors for City Hall's consideration.
Reparations can take various forms, such as payments or other forms of recompense to descendants of Blacks affected by slavery or past racist policies. Reparations have also been proposed or implemented in other cities in California, as well as in Fulton County, Georgia; Shelby County, Tennessee; Detroit; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Durham, North Carolina.
At the federal level, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., has sponsored a resolution seeking to establish that the U.S. has a "legal and moral obligation" to institute reparations. However, cash payments are not a universally accepted form of reparations.
Wilmington, Delaware, is investigating the impact of slavery and Jim Crow laws on Black residents, with proposals including a formal apology, housing funds, and a "Black Wall Street" economic development program.
In Asheville, North Carolina, the Reparations Commission is pushing a guaranteed income program, an Economic Development Center for Black residents, and an Incentives Reparations Accountability Council.
San Francisco proposed $5 million in cash payments but later withdrew the proposal, with Mayor London Breed citing the potential $100 billion cost. However, the city has issued an official apology and committed to ongoing investments in Black communities.
Boston activists have also called on "white churches" to step up and pay reparations, arguing that the city's wealth was built on slavery. Grassroots activism in Boston has led to calls for the city to "fully commit to writing checks" and for a $15 billion payout.
Evanston, Illinois, became the first city to pass a reparations plan, pledging $10 million over 10 years to Black residents. Maryland is considering increasing taxes to invest in reparations efforts, while California has apologized for its role in slavery but has not included cash payments in its reparations package.
The U.S. House of Representatives bill sponsored by Rep. Bowman would provide $14 trillion in reparations over decades, addressing disparities in housing, mass incarceration, education, and the racial wealth gap.
St. Louis University is facing demands for $74 billion in reparations for unpaid labor from enslaved Black people who built the university.
Civil rights attorney Areva Martin argues that cash payments are one way to acknowledge the harm done by slavery but emphasizes that they are not a sufficient solution on their own.
