Members appointed to NYS reparations commission

New York state lawmakers have appointed members to the Community Commission on Reparations Remedies, created through legislation Gov. Kathy Hochul signed in 2023. Its goal is to examine the legacy of slavery and its continuing impacts on black New Yorkers. The commission will develop a report outlining recommendations for addressing these inequities. Linda J. Mann, co-founder of the African American Redress Network, said there is one problem facing the commission: a lack of funds. “It is absolutely imperative that funds for these types of task force, because of the amount of research that’s going into it, is an imperative,” Mann emphasized. While the bill had plenty of Democratic support, it drew the ire of Republican lawmakers. Many areas of the country are determining how to redress past disparities Black people face. A recent report found philanthropies have received millions in funds stemming from depriving Black people of opportunities to build wealth similar to those of their white counterparts. The New York commission will have to present its findings in 2025. A 2021 Pew Research survey showed three-quarters of Black Americans surveyed support reparations, while only 18% of white Americans support it. Along with the U.S., countries worldwide are navigating reparations,...