Black Reparations in the United States, 2024: An Introduction

Abstract

This introduction seeks to perform two tasks: it provides a roadmap for readers yet to be initiated into the reparations dialogue and provides fresh insights for those already well versed in it. Reparations are a program of acknowledgment, redress, and closure for a grievous injustice. This edition deals with reparations for black Americans whose ancestors were enslaved in the United States for government policies that allowed centuries of chattel slavery and legal race discrimination. The articles in this double issue represent the most up-to-date rigorous social science, policy, and historical research on the topic. This introduction discusses the world history of reparations efforts and the history of movements for black reparations in the United States; compares various plans for black American reparations, including various monetary estimation approaches; and discusses who should pay and what form payments ought to take. It closes by looking toward the future of the black American reparations movement.