Reparations: What It Looks Like and How We Get There

Featuring: Ed Whitfield, Fund For Democratic Communities Moderated by: Anand Jahi, New Economy Coalition Last May, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Atlantic article “The Case for Reparations” threw a national spotlight on a debate and a movement that have been ongoing, though largely under the radar, for over 150 years. Reparations was suddenly a topic of national debate, which tended to focus on the merits of the idea itself and minimized questions of what reparations for African-Americans could actually look like. In the months that followed, police killings of unarmed African-Americans set off a wave of protest and resistance that swept through Ferguson, Missouri, New York City, Baltimore, and most major cities across the country; catalyzing Black Lives Matter’s growth into a national black liberation movement. But, despite the attempts of many activists and organizers, much discussion of the movement has focused narrowly on police procedures and protocols and not on potential solutions to the systemic racism at the root of state sanctioned violence. In his work with the Fund for Democratic Communities, the Southern Grassroots Economies Project, and the Southern Reparations Loan Fund, Ed Whitfield has been at the forefront of not just envisioning, but actively building a new economy grounded in justice, democracy, and sustainability. Join the New Economy Coalition for a conversation with Ed in which we will discuss reparations and building an economy where #BlackLivesMatter.