In a move that has sparked woke support and lucid skepticism, New York City is set to become the largest city in the United States to implement a reparations program. Sponsored by Councilmembers Crystal Hudson and Farah Louis, a pair of bills aimed at establishing a Truth, Healing, and Reconciliation Commission, along with a reparations task force, passed on Thursday and will take effect immediately.
“Today, the New York City Council voted to pass legislation establishing municipal efforts to acknowledge and address the legacy and impact of slavery and racial injustices in New York City.” – New York City Council. This announcement raises eyebrows. Why now? What’s the real agenda behind this sudden urgency?
After seemingly rushing through this legislation, Hudson and Louis are touting it as a transformative step for the city. Hudson claims, “I hope the legislation will identify racist, anti-Black policies at the foundation of our city’s institutions and it will yield material solutions to address these foundational cracks.”
Louis added, “This legislation is a crucial step towards justice and equity.”
“Equity” has become synonymous with woke discrimination as “white guilt” permeates the left. And, of course, the timing of this legislation, with the 2024 elections looming, certainly raises questions about its motivations.
Hudson further elaborated, “The passage of these bills represents a significant step for New York City. The harm slavery caused Black Americans continues to be felt today. Our nation’s inability to properly redress such a historic wrong allows this deep injustice to continue to manifest itself in distinct, tangible ways––be it the prison-industrial complex, predatory lending, redlining, or inequality in our school systems.”
Why should taxpayers today be held accountable for the sins of the distant past? They shouldn’t.
“When I first ran for office in 2021, I released A Black Agenda for New York City, outlining six bold recommendations that would meet the urgency of the racial reckoning facing our city. One of those recommendations was the creation of a citywide Truth, Healing, and Reconciliation process centered on acknowledging the city’s racist practices and historic treatment of Black New Yorkers.” Hudson said.
Not everyone is on board with this initiative. Minority Leader Joseph Borelli voiced his discontent, stating, “I’ll move before I’ll pay. If they can introduce me to one New Yorker who owned a slave I’d be happy to consider it. But until then, I am not paying a dime as a reparation for a harm I did not cause, nor condone, nor once participated in.”
His words resonate with many who feel that this reparations program is not only unjust but also a idiotic. Will there be a mass exodus as a result of this move? If it sticks, yes, there will be many who leave out of principle and practicality.
This is election year pandering that will have lasting real world consequences as white people are pressured to accept responsibility for something they neither wanted nor allowed.
