Thursday, June 27, 2019
Reparations for African-Americans has been discussed for many years, but it has taken on a new level of prominence, from Congress to the 2020 presidential race. Duke University's William Darity, one of the country's leading experts on the matter, shares his thoughts.
The U.S. House last week held the first hearing in more than a decade on reparations. The legislation at the heart of the hearing, H.R. 40, would establish a commission to study America's slave-holding past and the present manifestations of the country's "original sin."
What's more, many of the Democratic presidential candidates have addressed reparations, while differing on what form they should take.
Duke University's William Darity says it's the first time since Reconstruction that the reparations conversation has reached this level, and despite little chance of reparations legislation becoming law any time soon, Darity is "more optimistic than (he has) ever been... about the prospect"of a reparations program being enacted.
GUEST
William Darity, professor, Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy; co-author of the forthcoming book, "From Here to Equality: Black Reparations in the 21st Century" (@SandyDarity)