Reparations for Descendants of U.S. Chattel Slavery

The United States has yet to address the profound intergenerational harm caused by chattel slavery and the systemic exclusion of Black Americans from wealth, education, and opportunity.

As your Congresswoman, I will fight for reparations policies designed specifically for descendants of U.S. chattel slavery, ensuring accountability, justice, and long-term investment in communities historically denied opportunity.

Federal Reparations Legislation

I strongly support H.R. 40 – Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans, which establishes a commission to:

• Exclusively study the legacy of U.S. chattel slavery and its intergenerational effects on descendants.

• Develop proposals tailored to reparations for descendants of U.S. chattel slavery, including direct financial payments, targeted community investments, and educational and health initiatives.

• Coordinate with state and local governments to ensure reparative programs address historical inequities caused by slavery, Jim Crow, and other discriminatory policies.

By supporting H.R. 40, I will ensure that descendants of U.S. chattel slavery in the 7th Congressional District receive programs and resources designed to remedy the economic, educational, and social harm they have endured for generations.

Economic Justice & Community Investment

Reparations must go beyond direct payments. I will advocate for community-based economic investments that target neighborhoods and families descended from U.S. chattel slavery:

• Homeownership programs to correct the historic exclusion of Black families from wealth-building opportunities through property ownership.

• Business grants and entrepreneurship support for descendants of U.S. chattel slavery to encourage generational wealth creation and local economic development.

• Targeted workforce development for industries including clean energy, technology, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing, with an emphasis on creating high-paying, sustainable careers.

Education & Opportunity

• Establish education equity funds that specifically address historic disparities affecting descendants of U.S. chattel slavery, from K-12 to higher education.

• Provide tuition-free higher education and scholarships for descendants of U.S. chattel slavery, closing the opportunity gap caused by centuries of systemic exclusion.

• Support programs that preserve and teach Black history and the history of slavery, ensuring communities understand the roots of structural inequities.

Health & Public Safety

• Fund healthcare initiatives in communities historically denied access, including programs targeting maternal and infant mortality, chronic disease, mental health, and substance use.

• Invest in public health infrastructure in neighborhoods where descendants of U.S. chattel slavery have faced environmental hazards, including lead contamination, poor air quality, and lack of access to healthy food.

Criminal Justice Reparations

• Implement programs to address racial disparities in incarceration and policing that disproportionately impact descendants of U.S. chattel slavery.

• Ensure formerly incarcerated descendants of U.S. chattel slavery have access to housing, employment, education, and social services, as a form of restorative justice.
  
  

Environmental Justice

• Prioritize clean water, air, and safe housing in historically marginalized Black communities.

• Direct federal investments in green infrastructure and sustainable development toward neighborhoods where descendants of U.S. chattel slavery live, correcting historic environmental injustices.

Accountability & Oversight

• Create a National Reparations Task Force to track the implementation of reparations programs, measure outcomes, and ensure accountability to descendants of U.S. chattel slavery.

• Require community representation on oversight committees to ensure reparations programs reflect the priorities and needs of the people they are designed to serv