A family attends the National Reparations March organized by the National Reparations League on S unday, Oct. 15, 2022. (Photo: Black American Heritage Club)
The National Reparations League recently held a National Reparations March in Washington, D.C., to demand financial repair for Black Americans.
The march was held Sunday, Oct. 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Freedom Plaza. The flyer included phrases like “Time Is Up!” and “No Reparations, No Vote.” It also said, “Now you can understand why we didn’t get 40 acres.”
Nyhiem Way, president and co-founder of United Sons & Daughters of Freedom and Be The Power, was among the activists in attendance. He invited people in D.C. who supported the cause to join them.
“We are in Washington D.C. holding our reparations march. We are making demands to this government that our people be repaired,” Way said in a video clip. “For those of you who will see this message, if you’re in the DMV area right now, come on down to come support the movement. Come let your voice be heard, along with ours, that we are demanding that this government repair our people.”
Attendees chanted “Reparations Now!” while carrying signs with phrases like “We coming to get our check.”
“[Being] out here in the street with the people, fighting for the people, getting what they deserve; that’s going to help Black America,” one speaker told the crowd. “Doing what you’re doing right now. Coming out, not just sitting behind a computer, not just sitting behind YouTube, not just sitting behind Twitter, not just sitting behind Facebook, but being active, proactive.”
The speaker was referencing criticisms that many reparations activists are only about that life on social media.
Lately, reparations groups have been organizing to hold more in-person conferences, events, marches and rallies.
NAASD recently hosted its inaugural reparations summit and Tariq Nasheed and his Foundational Black Americans movement have a reparations rally planned at Freedom Plaza on Nov. 5.
PHOTO: A family attends the National Reparations March organized by the National Reparations League on S unday, Oct. 15, 2022. (Photo: Black American Heritage Club)
