Paying for the Past: Reparations and American History
Episode 279, May 24, 2019, 04:24 PM
On this episode of BackStory, Nathan, Ed and Brian explore the complicated - and often contentious - history of reparations in America.
Reparations for African-Americans has been a hot topic on the presidential campaign trail, with Democratic candidates including Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren coming out in favor of compensation for unpaid African-American labor.
But the debate around reparations is nothing new. In fact, it goes back centuries.
On this episode, Nathan, Ed and Brian explore the complicated - and often contentious - history of reparations, from the first mass reparations movement led by Callie House, an ex-slave, to a unique moment when African-Americans in Florida received compensation for the destruction of their community.
Image: "The Freedmen's Bureau" Man representing the Freedman's Bureau stands between armed groups of Euro-Americans and Afro-Americans. Drawn by A.R. Waud. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/92514996/
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