Harris declines to say whether she would establish commission to study reparations

Vice President Kamala Harris declined to say whether she supports a commission to study reparations, despite being behind such legislation in Congress. 

She suggested Congress should take the lead on studying the history of racism and the potential need for reparations, not the White House. 

During a conversation with members of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Tuesday in Philadelphia, the Democratic presidential nominee said when asked whether she would create such a committee: “We just need to speak truth about history. In spite of the fact that some people are trying to erase history and try and teach our children otherwise, we need to speak truth about the generational impact of our history, in terms of the generational impact of slavery, the generational impact of of redlining, of Jim Crow law, I could go on and on.”

“I think Congress ultimately will have the ability to do this work,” Harris said. 

Vice President Kamala Harris addresses members of the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia, Sept. 17, 2024. (Reuters/Piroschka van de Wouw)

NYC COUNCIL PASSES SLAVERY REPARATIONS LEGISLATION 

Racial justice groups and some Democrats have been pushing President Biden for years to establish a national reparations commission by executive order –

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