reparations
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Last Known U.S. Slave Ship, the Clotilda, Said to Have Been Discovered in Alabama
Researchers at the Alabama Historical Commission recently announced that they’ve located the remains of the last known ship known to bring enslaved Africans to what we now call the United States. As National Geographic notes, slave importing was officially banned in 1808, though an illegal trans-Atlantic slave trade continued for many years. In 1860, some…
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Pardon Me While I Clap Back at the Wall Street Journal’s Bullshit
If, perchance, one day, a team of white supremacist elves (although that description may be redundant because I believe all elves are racist, including Santa’s, Keebler’s, Jeff Sessions, and even Kevin Hart) invaded the Wall Street Journal’s newsroom and—instead of printing the evening edition—ran 54 pages in 10-point Times New Roman font just repeating the word…
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Stacey Abrams Says There Was ‘Incompetence’ in Media Coverage of Her Campaign, Will Announce Her Future Political Plans in the Coming Weeks
Former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams sat down with The Root to reflect on her 2018 campaign for the governor’s mansion in Georgia and whether or not the country is ready for a black woman to be president. She also discussed the media’s treatment of her during her run for governor and some of the racist…
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Georgetown Students Agree to Pay Reparations. No, Really
Welcome to 2019—where whole-ass cities are suing their citizens for allegedly beating themselves up, affluent white folks are fucking off their privilege by scamming universities, a black kid from Atlanta has resurrected country music, and reparations are somehow trending without the need of a hashtag. But while presidential hopefuls such as U.S. Sen. Cory Booker…
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Exclusive: Sen. Cory Booker Introduces Senate Bill to Study Reparations
Presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) told The Root in an exclusive, hour-long interview at his home in Newark, N.J., that he unequivocally supports reparations for black people and that he is introducing a Senate version of the House bill on Monday that will form a commission to study reparations. Booker’s bill, Commission…
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On the Anniversary of MLK Jr.’s Assassination, We Should Heed King’s Economic Roadmap to Reparations
In a 1968 speech just prior to his death on April 4, Martin Luther King Jr. appeared to articulate the next phase of the fight for equality in America. It wasn’t focused on equal rights or the plight of African Americans in education in the wake of Brown v. Board of Education—it focused on black…
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A Late Thank You Letter to White America, Who Fox News Says Deserves 'Credit' For Ending Slavery
Dear America, When I say “America,” I obviously mean the ones who want to be made “great again.” The ones upon which God shed his grace. The ones who live under liberty and justice. The ones who reside in the land of the free and the home of the brave. When I say “America,” you…
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What Are Reparations and Why Are They a Hot Ticket Item in 2020? | Unpack That
Reparations for slavery is one of the hottest political topics on the 2020 campaign trail. But, who wants them? Who gets them? And why are they important? First things first: Reparations for slavery isn’t all about getting that bag. It’s part of it, for sure, but it’s also about acknowledging and reconciling a wrong. In…
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Amid Some Economic Gains, Black Homeownership Continues to Fall: Report
Despite record low unemployment and higher wages than in the past, substantial barriers to homeownership continue to keep black Americans from amassing wealth. A new Washington Post report collects recent studies and data on black homeownership that offers a stark view of the racial gap in housing—one that only seems to be getting worse. Citing…
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Why Everyone’s Talking About Reparations, Explained
Hello again, Racist Baby! What are you doing here? Wait … Who told you Jesus is coming back? And why would he only come back for black people? No, Racist Baby. Those people aren’t talking about Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, they’re talking about black reparations. Reparations is “the making of amends…