The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is advocating for statewide reparations, asserting that a historical debt is owed to Black New Yorkers due to enduring wealth disparities rooted in the state's history of slavery and systemic racism.

Lanessa Owens-Chaplin, Director of the Racial Justice Center at the NYCLU, stated, "Enslaved Black people built the foundation of New York’s economy, but Black families in our state still face racism that has been codified into our laws and budgets. New York State was not a bystander to slavery — it created, enacted, and protected the institution. Reparations must be extended to all Black New Yorkers descended from those enslaved by New York State, and to all Black New Yorkers still living under the systems slavery built."

In a joint report released last week titled "The Other New York: The Legacy of Slavery and the Case for Reparations Now," the NYCLU and the Legal Defense Fund detailed the lasting economic impacts of slavery and Jim Crow–era policies on Black communities across New York State.

The report reveals that the median wealth of Black New Yorkers is $18,870, nearly 15 times less than the $276,900 median wealth of White New Yorkers. It also notes that nearly 90 years after redlining and urban renewal, formerly redlined communities remain some of the highest-poverty neighborhoods in the state.

The NYCLU criticized state officials after a provision quietly embedded in the state budget delayed the commission’s final report deadline by two years, pushing it from 2025 to 2029.

Sources