Legal Insurrection by Elizabeth Stauffer 5/31/2026
“It shouldn’t only be a check, but it should start with a check. Then we can start addressing education issues, redlining issues, policing issues. …” In 2023, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation creating the New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies. The commission would explore the state’s role in slavery, its “lasting effects … on people of African descent,” as well as possible reparative measures.
On Saturday, the commission held a public hearing to solicit feedback from black New Yorkers on what reparations should look like in practice, including who should be eligible, what forms of compensation should take, and how the state should address the enduring effects of slavery and discrimination.
To say the least, the state may not have been prepared for some of the demands that were made.
Although more than 160 years have passed since the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, some black New Yorkers maintain that they are owed compensation from Americans whose ancestors never owned slaves, arrived on these shores decades after emancipation, or fought — and even died — in our nation’s bloodiest war to end it.
Fox News put together a video (below) highlighting key moments from the hearing as well as their own interviews with some of the attendees.
[Emphasis added.]
One man, whose claim to black identity was not immediately evident from his appearance, suggested reparations of $800,000 for “each foundation of black Americans.” While the phrase itself was ambiguous, his subsequent comments, along with testimony from other attendees, indicated that he was calling for an $800,000 payment to each black American.
“We need $800,000 for each foundation of black Americans,” he said. “That’s simple. In New York, that’s about the cost of living that’ll get you a home or a small business or for you to recover from any financial duress.”
More:
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/05/what-black-new-yorkers-say-theyre-owed-highlights-from-a-state-reparations-hearing/
