What does it mean for a society to atone for systemic and enduring harms? California is the first U.S. state to propose reparations for many Black residents. Communities across the country are watching closely. But questions of restoration and reconciliation aren’t exclusive to Black Americans – or to the United States. This special series explores efforts around the world to seek justice and restitution for communities subjected to historical harms.
German reparations for Holocaust reveal complexities of atonementThe world is increasingly questioning what it owes victims of state genocide and enslavement. Germany’s atonement after the Holocaust shows a path – albeit a bumpy one – forward.
FocusFrance won’t apologize to Algeria for war. Enter the French people.Can a former colonial power make amends without offering an apology? France and Algeria offer a test case that shows how difficult it can be to grapple honestly with the past.
Focus‘The money is a token.’ Why Namibia’s peoples feel ignored by reparations.What happens when a colonial power apologizes for genocide and offers to pay more than €1 billion in restitution? In Namibia, descendants of the victims are suing.
Slavery made their ancestors wealthy. Now they’re making amends.Heirs of Slavery encourages descendants of those who benefited from slavery to reckon with their ancestors’ past by making amends today.
What are reparations for? In Brazil Amazon community, its culture.One Indigenous community in Brazil, awarded millions over illegal logging, has prioritized cultural preservation over big-ticket spending.
Reparations in California: What can lawmakers achieve?California lawmakers now begin the complex work of taking up the historic final recommendations from the state’s Reparations Task Force.
When $1 billion isn’t enough. Why the Sioux won’t put a price on land.How do you make reparations for historic harm when money is off the table? To accept cash for stolen land would be to sell out in the purest sense, members of the Sioux say. They want their land – or at least a say in how it is protected.
What is an apology without justice?While Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized for the residential school system in 2008, the United States has never done so publicly.
How Barbados became a leader in Caribbean calls for reparationsNearly 200 years since emancipation and 60 since independence from England, Barbados has emerged as a leading voice for reparations for slavery.
What does it mean to craft a ‘lifestyle of repair’?For white allies in the reparative justice movement, participation often reflects an evolving view of their civic responsibility.
‘Not nameless’: Bringing the lives of those enslaved to lightLearning about one’s ancestors isn’t easy if they were enslaved. Etching their names in history is one way, long overdue, to honor their humanity.
Can California right long-past wrongs? This panel says yes.California aims to be the first U.S. state to issue reparations to Black residents. Nine people spent two years considering how to provide justice for the lingering effects of slavery.
