Hochul launched the process of paying reparations to descendants of slaves in New York

New York State will create a commission that will consider the issue of reparations for the damage caused by slavery in the state. On Tuesday, December 19, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the bill into law, according to Apnews.

Many US states and cities are trying to figure out how best to deal with the country's dark past. New York follows in the footsteps of similar task forces in California and Illinois.

“In New York, we like to think we're on the right side. Slavery was a product of the South, the Confederacy," Hochul said at the bill signing ceremony. "What's hard to accept is the fact that our state also thrived because of slavery. It’s not a pretty story, but it’s true.”

Under legislation passed by state lawmakers in June, the study commission will examine the extent to which the federal and state governments supported the institution of slavery. She will also examine how New York, which abolished slavery entirely by 1827, participated in the transfer of enslaved Africans, and how this institution continues to influence black New Yorkers today.

“The battle for civil rights was not fought across the Mason-Dixon line. The largest slave trading ports were at Charleston, South Carolina, and Wall Street, New York, said the Rev. Al Sharpton, who spoke at the signing ceremony. “So today we begin the process of unraveling the inequalities in the north and saying that we must undo the damage that has been done, and this can be an example for the entire nation.”

The nine-member commission will be required to submit a report one year after its first meeting. Her recommendations may include monetary compensation but will not be binding. The commission's findings should serve as an impetus for policy changes and the development of programs and projects aimed at eliminating the negative effects of slavery on black New Yorkers.

Sins of ancient ancestors

The idea of ​​using public money to pay reparations to the descendants of enslaved people is almost certain to provoke a backlash from some people, including whites who do not feel they should pay for the sins of long-ago ancestors and members of other ethnic groups who were not involved in the slave trade.

Sharpton said he expects Hochul to pay a political price for convening the commission. “I want to give credit to the governor for having the guts and courage to do something that others wouldn’t do. And I know she had to fight it. Her political advisers told her it was too risky,” the famed civil rights activist said.

On the subject: What to see in New York State: 11 little-known but interesting places

Hochul and other state lawmakers stressed at the ceremony that the process will help begin negotiations about what reparations might look like. The Governor and legislative leaders of the State Assembly and Senate will each appoint three qualified members to the commission. They have 90 days to make their choice.

“It's not just about who we write a check to and how much,” said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, the first black person to hold the position. “The conversation begins by acknowledging the issues that have impacted Black people and descendants of slaves in this state.”

Support for the initiative

State Senate Republican Leader Rob Orth said in a statement that New York's recommendations would cost all New Yorkers an astronomical amount. “Slavery reparations were paid for with the blood and lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans who fought to end slavery during the Civil War,” he said, adding that it was impossible for states to cover the potentially high cost of paying reparations in cash.

California in 2020 became the first state to create a reparations task force. In June, the group delivered its two-year report to state lawmakers, who then introduced a bill that would create an agency that would implement some of the group's more than 100 recommendations, including helping families with genealogical research. But turning those proposals into reality could be challenging given that the state is facing severe budget shortfalls.

Other states, including Massachusetts and New Jersey, have considered exploring reparations, but none have yet passed legislation. The Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, became the first city to offer reparations to Black residents in 2021 as part of a $10 million housing project.

The U.S. Congress apologized to African Americans for slavery in 2009, but a federal proposal to create a reparations commission has long remained unanswered.