I’ve generally been dubious at the call for racial (or slavery) reparations. I support the goal (reducing racial economic disparity) but I just don’t see how it could work pragmatically.
Recently NPR’s Market Place did a segment on private reparations that I really liked. The money supported a project similar to Habitat for Humanity but focused on inner city black women.
I really like this program; it’s not giving out cash but instead applying the money directly to creating housing equity. The equity disparity is one of the very real legacies of slavery/racism. The program doesn’t just help the ones who get new homes but also raises the values of property around them. (Which could open a discussion of what gentrification means.) I’m sure someone could point out a negative of the program but overall I like it.
The reparations from the story are funded privately. I’m not sure how well it would scale if the government got involved but at least for now it’s a start.