Lawmakers in Maryland this week overwhelmingly approved a measure to study reparations for slavery.
A synopsis of the measure states that the Maryland Reparations Commission would “study and make recommendations relating to appropriate benefits to be made to individuals whose ancestors were enslaved in the State or were impacted by certain inequitable government policies.”
As such, the commission would be tasked with submitting what the synopsis describes as a “preliminary report by January 1, 2027, and a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2027.”
Lawmakers in the House passed the measure in a 101-36 vote, sending it to Democrat Gov. Wes Moore, who has said he will consider the measure but has yet to commit to signing it. He told reporters that the “history of racism in this state is real,” adding that it is “still very much being felt and they’ve been structurally felt within the state of Maryland.”
Democrat Baltimore County Delegate Aletheia McCaskill said earlier this year that the commission would “evaluate a range of reparations proposals that will not only consider financial restitution, but will also explore strategies to support and uplift vulnerable communities that continue to suffer the lingering and evasive effects of discriminatory practices rooted in systematic racism,” per the AP.
Reports showcase that some of the potential reparations could include not only monetary compensation but “statements of apology,” assistance with purchasing a home, and more.
Prior to losing the 2024 presidential election to President Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on “The Breakfast Club” and definitively stated that reparations “has to be studied.”
“So, to your point — I am running to be a president for all Americans,” Harris said at the time. “That being said — I do have clear eyes about the disparities that do exist and the context that they mean in history, to your point.”
“So, my agenda — first of all, on the point of reparations, it has to be studied. There is no question about that, and I’ve been very clear about that position,” she added.
Republican New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino is among those who have criticized the practice of studying reparations, deeming it a waste of time and money for her state.
“You know, waste more money, Mike. You know, I just rattled off problems that really matter to this city, ok, and they want to create a task force to study reparations for black residents,” she said during a September appearance on Breitbart News Daily.
“New York City is at the forefront of ensuring equal rights for all, regardless of race. So it is absurd that the taxpaying residents of this city would have to contribute their hard earned dollars to another pet project of the progressives,” she said.
“Let it be known that I am focused on the real issues that matter to all New Yorkers. That’s my statement, and this is as far as I go. Does anybody know that New York was never a slave state? Never a slave state. Does anybody even know that?” she added, warning, “So long as we keep looking in the damn rear view mirror, our city will never move forward, and everybody better remember that, too.”
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