The Case for Reparations in New York

All day, New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU)

What would it take to repair the harm of generations of injustice, and build a New York where everyone can truly thrive? Visit an installation by NYCLU exploring why reparations are essential for New York, how the legacy of slavery and racial injustice continues to shape our communities today, and how we can work together to build a more just future.

New York's prosperity was deeply connected to slavery and the exploitation of Black people. And the end of slavery did not end the systems that created racial injustice. Over generations, Black New Yorkers have had to resist an onslaught of policies and institutional practices designed to block access to wealth, opportunity, health, safety, and political power.

Environmental justice is a part of this story. In New York, generations of racial segregation and housing discrimination have shaped where polluting facilities, highways, waste sites, and other infrastructure are located, as well as who has access to clean air and water, healthy housing, green space, affordable and reliable energy, and more.

Government policies and decisions have created and maintained these unequal condition, and justice demands a system of reclamation for what was stolen, and a process of repair, so that our communities have a fair opportunity going forward.