Any reparations program should be based on acknowledgment, redress, and closure, Darity says. Acknowledgment is a combination of an apology and the recognition on the part of the culpable party that they’ve benefitted from this process of exploitation. Redress is the actual form that restitution might take. Darity has argued that any program of reparations must include direct payments to eligible recipients. Closure is an agreement by both parties—the culpable party and the victimized party—that the debt has been paid.
“I want to be clear that closure in that sense does not mean forgetting,” Darity said. “An important dimension of reparations programs must address issues concerning the memory of the events that led to the reparations commitment.”
