New York City Lawmakers Approve Legislation to Study Slavery’s Role and Consider Reparations

New York City lawmakers have taken a significant step towards addressing the city’s role in slavery by approving legislation to study the issue and consider reparations for descendants of enslaved people. The package of bills, if signed into law by Mayor Eric Adams, would follow in the footsteps of other municipalities across the U.S. that have sought to address the country’s dark history.

The bills aim to address the lasting impact of slavery on Black Americans, with Council Member Farah Louis emphasizing that the reparations movement is about more than just compensation. It also seeks to address systemic forms of oppression that continue to impact Black communities today, such as redlining and environmental racism.

The legislation would direct the city’s Commission on Racial Equity to suggest remedies for the legacy of slavery, including reparations, and create a truth and reconciliation process to establish historical facts about slavery in the state. One proposal would require the installation of an informational sign on Wall Street to mark the site of New York’s first slave market.

The city’s commission will work alongside the existing state commission, which is also considering reparations. A financial impact analysis estimated that the studies would cost $2.5 million. New York City joins other cities like Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Evanston, Illinois, in taking steps towards reparations for Black residents and their descendants.