Asking about reparations for slavery has become a standard question for Democratic presidential candidates ahead of 2020. And its left many candidates scrambling to respond. But the debate around whether or not to fund reparations for black Americans goes far beyond being a political talking point. For Maxine Crump, a descendant of slaves, the goal is clear: “It’s a repayment for what has been owed.”
Crump is a descendant of slaves sold by Georgetown University in 1838, and President and CEO of Dialogue on Race Louisiana. Tanzina Vega, host of The Takeaway, sat down with Maxine to talk about reparations in America: what they could look like, and what it would take to make them a reality. Also joining the conversation was Katherine Franke of Columbia University, author of the forthcoming book “Repair: Redeeming the Promise of Abolition,” and Nkechi Taifa, an attorney and founding member of The National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America.
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