Reparations activist does not expect compensation from New York officials as action is delayed for years
The U.S. Freedmen Project said New York's reparations commission delay proves the system is designed to stall, not deliver, for descendants.
TL;DR
- Reparations activist Devine Prince of the U.S. Freedmen Project expects no financial compensation from New York.
- Prince believes the mainstream reparations movement and race-based policies are designed to stall and tire out recipients.
- The U.S. Freedmen Project distinguishes between descendants of enslaved people in the U.S. and other Black immigrants.
- New York lawmakers quietly delayed the reparations commission's final report deadline by two years, from 2027 to 2029.
- The New York Civil Liberties Union criticized the delay, stating it is a disservice to those harmed by discrimination.
- The commission, established in late 2023, was tasked with examining the state's ties to slavery and recommending remedies.
- Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solages cited conservative legal challenges and erosion of race-conscious policies as reasons for the extension.
- U.S. Freedmen Project advocates argue that reparations should be strictly limited to direct descendants of enslaved individuals to avoid violating the Constitution.
- Prince believes commissioners were appointed to preserve the status quo and that true repair means addressing those who were "truly harmed."
- New York is part of a trend of states and municipalities exploring local reparations frameworks, like Evanston, Illinois.