America Needs a Better Reparations Plan

More than a century and a half after the official end of chattel slavery in the US, the idea of paying reparations is finally gaining some momentum. A congressional bill named H.R. 40 — after the 40 acres that the US government promised but never delivered to the formerly enslaved — has emerged from committee for the first time since the late Representative John Conyers initially introduced it in 1989, and might even proceed to a vote.

Unfortunately, even if the legislation passes, it’s highly unlikely to deliver true reparations. On the contrary, it could undermine the whole project.