Boston Group Demands $15 Billion in Reparations for Slavery, Citing City’s Role and Enduring Impact

A call for reparations has rung out in Boston where a local organization is demanding a $15 billion payout for the city’s role in slavery and the enduring discrimination that has followed. According to a statement obtained by Boston.com, the grassroots Boston People’s Reparations Commission, under the umbrella of the New Democracy Coalition, seeks these funds to directly go to individuals, institutions, and programs aimed at supporting Black Bostonians. The activists have split the proposed reparations into three categories, with $5 billion intended for direct cash payments, another $5 billion to potentially fund new financial institutions, and the remaining $5 billion to be used to tackle issues such as the racial education gap and anti-crime measures. The commission’s founder, Rev. Kevin Peterson, told NBC Boston, “The wealth of this city was built on slavery. And the city is responsible to pay back the wealth they extracted free of charge from other human beings who died at some point in the labor for this city.” The size of the demand is especially notable considering that Boston’s budget for the Fiscal Year 2024 stands at $4.28 billion, as noted by NBC Boston. The Boston People’s Reparations Commission, consisting of 70 members described...