“Just over a year ago, a monster drove hundreds of miles to kill New Yorkers, Black New Yorkers,” recalled NY State Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, who chairs the Assembly’s Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, & Asian Legislative Caucus. “On his weapon…on his gun was a phrase. And it said, ‘This is your reparations.’
“Some may argue that the past is the past and that we should move on. But how can we move on when the echoes of history still reverberate in the lives of millions? How can we build a future on a foundation stained with injustice?”
Members of the caucus announced on June 8 that the state is now steps closer to putting the New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies in place. Named under the recently passed state assembly’s A07691 bill, the Commission would formally examine African enslavement in New York City and state, document the ways Black people were treated after New York abolished slavery in 1827, and survey the racial and economic discriminatory laws Black people continue to face in the state.
East New York Assemblywoman Nikki Lucas pointed out that the Commission’s work, when it looks at reparations, specifically must strive for lineage-based reparations. “It is crucial to approach this matter with fairness and a focus on rectifying specific harms endured by the affected communities,” Lucas said in an impassioned speech before the final vote took place. “As discussions continue, it is essential to advocate for lineage-based reparations to ensure justice and equity for American freedmen who are direct descendants of enslaved individuals in the United States. Reparations should be targeted toward those who directly experienced harm and their descendants due to slavery and its enduring effects.”
The bill, which awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature to become law, would have Commission members gather evidence about how New York’s Black communities have fared in the state and, within one year, make recommendations about what kind of remedies or reparations would be appropriate. The Commission’s recommendations to the legislature are not legally binding and do not necessarily have to be followed.