Reparations seem to be the buzzword among the Democrats running for President in the 2020 elections. Some are for it, some are against and the debate continues with no significant plan presented.
“The candidate most fervently backing reparations is Marianne Williamson, a self-help guru and spiritual adviser who wants to set aside $100 billion to $500 billion for a reparations program,” Vox reported.
Here’s what the other candidates are saying about slavery reparations:
Even though Harris has repeatedly said she is for reparations it’s been hard to pin down exactly what her plan would be. She told the Grio: “If you look at the reality of who will benefit from certain policies, when you take into account that they are not starting on equal footing, it will directly benefit Black children, Black families, Black homes-owners because the disparities are so significant.”
She has referred to the LIFT Act, a tax plan that would provide a tax credit to working singles making $50,000 or less and families making $100,000 or less.
Warren has not only called for slavery reparations but has called for reparations for Native Americans as well, pointing to her American Housing and Economic Mobility Act.
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 49: Jamilah Lemieux
Part 1: Jamarlin talks to digital media executive, activist and author Jamilah Lemieux. They discuss her article, “The Power And Fragility Of Working In Black Media” in the Columbia Journalism Review and Lamont Hill being fired by CNN for his comments on Palestine. They also discuss whether Michelle Obama’s words on Rev. Jeremiah Wright in her book “Becoming” were a false equivalence.
“The act would create a housing program that would offer special financial aid to first-time homebuyers in communities affected by redlining, a form of housing discrimination that classified predominantly Black communities and homebuyers as ‘hazardous’ and undesirable, a designation that led to extremely high — if not outright prohibitive — costs of loans to Black homebuyers,” Vox reported.
While Warren’s plan has been praised by some economists who agree it could put a “substantive dent” in the racial wealth gap, since it is not targeters others say it really isn’t reparations.
According to former housing and urban development secretary Julián Castro, reparations discussions are “worth having” yet he has not offered a proposal for a reparations program. Instead expressed support for a task force on reparations.
“Booker has proposed a “baby bonds” program that would give every child a savings account, with federal contributions to the account increasing as parental income decreases. He specifically cites this program as addressing the racial wealth gap,” Vox reported.
Still the plan does not meet the race-specific standard needed to qualify as reparations.
Sanders opposed reparations during the 2016 presidential race and has maintained “there are better ways to do that than just writing out a check.”
His reasoning: Programs aimed at the poor more broadly can better help address inequality, he has explained.
