How to Implement Reparations in America

The Century Foundation and NYU Wagner hosted a discussion on how to implement reparations in America. Moderated by Danielle Belton, Editor-In-Chief at The Root, the discussion included Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, Chief of Race, Wealth, and Community the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Keith Young, City Councilmember from Asheville, North Carolina, and featured Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) as the keynote speaker.

Asante-Muhammad and Young spoke further on reparations and emphasized that monetary policies alone cannot fix the issues surrounding systemic racism. Young stated that there are no benefits from implementing monetary policies if the systems in place are not changed as well. Asante-Muhammad stated that reparations will take time as reparations seek to repair and build systems that strive for equality.

Young continued to emphasize that action needs to happen at a state and federal level and that local governments cannot do it alone. The city of Asheville recently passed a reparations resolution in the summer of 2020. Young stated that though something may work in his city of Asheville, it may not work in other places; however, it can highlight what is possible from a community-based model. Participants agreed that a top-down and bottom-up approach is necessary and that action from the federal level will help move the needle.

“Reparations is not a punishment,” said Asante-Muhammad, but continued to mention that it is dealing with a contemporary problem and creating new structures to make a more equal society.

“There is becoming a greater acceptance of this idea of reparations as we are getting clearer that we are not punishing people today for something that happened in the past but dealing with a contemporary problem that needs to be addressed,” Asante-Muhammad said. 

….of how we are going to heal that inequality”