New York Far-Left Group Claims Reparations ‘Owed’ as Blacks’ Median Wealth ‘Nearly 15 Times Less’ Than Whites

A prominent civil rights organization is pushing for statewide reparations, arguing that a historical debt is owed to Black New Yorkers due to deep wealth disparities rooted in the state’s ties to slavery and decades of systemic discrimination.

“Reparations are a debt that is owed. Enslaved Black people built the foundation of New York’s economy, but Black families in our state still face racism that has been codified into our laws and budgets,” said Lanessa Owens-Chaplin, Director of the Racial Justice Center at the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU). “New York State was not a bystander to slavery — it created, enacted, and protected the institution. Reparations must be extended to all Black New Yorkers descended from those enslaved by New York State, and to all Black New Yorkers still living under the systems slavery built.”

In a joint report released last week titled “The Other New York: The Legacy of Slavery and the Case for Reparations Now,” the NYCLU and the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) detailed the lasting economic impacts of slavery and Jim Crow–era policies on Black communities across the state.

According to the report, the median wealth of Black New Yorkers stands at $18,870 — nearly 15 times less than the median wealth of White New Yorkers, which sits at $276,900. {snip}

The report points to government-backed practices like redlining as major catalysts for today’s wealth inequality, noting that the exclusion and displacement of Black communities denied them “the stability and generational wealth that homeownership provides.”

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The New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies was created under legislation signed by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in late 2023. {snip}

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