A prominent civil rights organization is calling out New York officials for extending the timeline on a highly anticipated state report investigating slavery reparations remedies.The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) on Friday slammed the New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies after a provision embedded in the newly passed state budget pushed the release of its final report back an additional two years—moving the deadline to 2029."The state’s decision to spend an additional three years before it takes any action to address these harms raises a lot of questions about when Black New Yorkers will receive reparations," said Chantelle Williams, the NYCLU’s Assistant Director of the Racial Justice Center, pointing to the total time elapsed since the commission's inception.TRUMP ADMIN VOWS TO STOP REPARATIONS PROGRAMS, ACCUSES OFFICIALS OF 'VIRTUE SIGNALING' TO GET 'VOTES'Assemblymember Michaelle C.Solages, representing New York’s 22nd District, helped draft the Reparations Commission legislation. (fox news digital)"Meanwhile, the impact of discrimination continues to harm Black individuals and communities across the state.
This delay is not just a bureaucratic inconvenience.It is a disservice to those who have suffered the profound and lasting consequences of inequality," Williams added.The New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies, a nine-member panel composed of scholars and community leaders, recently concluded a series of statewide public hearings.
The final hearing, titled "From Extraction to Repair: Closing the Racial Wealth Gap," took place in Harlem at the end of May.The commission was born out of legislation signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in late 2023, which established a panel to examine the state's historical ties to the institution of slavery, subsequent Jim Crow-era policies, and modern economic disparities like redlining.The body was tasked with compiling those findings into a formal report proposing ...