Reparations to Black Americans to compensate them for the legacy of slavery, segregation and racism has been gaining steam lately. The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism’s Martha Daniels and Molly Carmichael look at a program in nearby Evanston, Illinois and the prospects here in Wisconsin.
Ever since at least 1619, people of African descent have faced slavery, discrimination, and prejudice in North America. Four centuries of bigotry have cut African-Americans out of much of the wealth and privilege that European Americans take for granted. The concept of reparations — payments to the African-American community to make up for those losses — has circulated for generations. Now, as reported by the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, policy makers ranging from Congress to the City of Evanston, Illinois are taking a renewed interest in reparations. Molly Carmichael and Martha Daniels joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on September 6, 2021.