Dave's Why

It was late June of 2020, when my daughter and 20 or so of her millennial friends, activated in part by the murder of George Floyd, started a weekly Zoom gathering to talk about "whiteness." I expressed my interest and was invited to join.

It wasn’t long before we ran out of things to say about 'whiteness' and moved on to the topic of reparations. Up until that time, I had not been a supporter of reparations. Probably because the articles I had read and documentaries I’d watched all had the tone of a political commercial - demonizing the perceived opponent (white people) rather than making a case for positive action. Yet an Atlantic article by Ta-Nehisi Coates - ‘A Case for Reparations’ - was different and convinced me that paying the debt owed to black America is the right thing - and the smart thing - to do.

I bought From Here to Equality, by Sandy Darity and Kirsten Mullen and began reading passages to the Zoom group.  FHTE  filled some of the gaps in my so-called formal education, provided an inventory of the systemic extraction of black assets, opportunities, and dignity, and laid out a comprehensive plan for national reparations.
 
At this stage of my life I pick my battles carefully. I've decided to go all-in for the reparations movement. My intention is to help move the topic from the fringes of America's attention to center stage - where it belongs. 

Where will the projected $16 trillion settlement come from? If Covid taught us anything, it’s that money’s only scarce 'til something big comes up that needs it. And, in my view, repairing America’s broken heart is about as big as it gets.