On Wednesday, a House subcommittee listened to Senator Cory Booker and actor Danny, not Donald, Glover to discuss reparations to black Americans for slavery.
Representative Shirly Jackson from Texas made it clear that the hearing was not a “symbolic action”, but one that legitimately could lead to a bill, and eventually a law.
Glover referenced famous author James Baldwin about how America is trapped by the past: “James Baldwin, the great writer once said, ‘If we can’t tell the truth about the past, we become trapped in it. This country is trapped in not telling the truth.”
Booker agreed, saying that the US has, “yet to truly acknowledge and grapple with the racism and white supremacy that tainted this country’s founding and continues to cause persistent and deep racial disparities and inequality.”
As the New York Post points out, America as a whole does not support the idea of reparations, “In a Point Taken-Marist poll conducted in 2016, 68% of Americans said the country should not pay cash reparations to African American descendants of slaves to make up for the harm caused by slavery and racial discrimination.”
As one could guess, the issue is split between white and black Americans. 8 in 10 white Americans are against reparations while 6 in 10 black Americans support it.
I think those that support reparations need a platform to try to convince the rest of America. I just don’t think they’re loud enough right now.