The idea of reparations is gaining ground among Democratic presidential candidates, and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is happy about it.
The Texas Democrat, who wants a commission to study possibilities for reparations, said Thursday she welcomed the support that legislation is gaining among 2020 Democrats.
Democratic presidential candidates former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas, Obama administration-era housing secretary Julian Castro, and venture capitalist Andrew Yang all told Rev. Al Sharpton at his National Action Network Convention on Wednesday in New York that they would sign Jackson Lee’s measure, reintroduced in January, should it pass Congress and they win the White House next year. South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland made the same pledge on Thursday during their respective appearances at the event organized by the black activist.
“The Congresswoman welcomes support for any of her pieces of legislation, including H.R. 40, and welcomes enactment of any of her bills into law. As with any other piece of legislation, advocacy of bills, resolutions, etc., is benefited if s/he who advocates is in a position to effectuate positive change,” Jackson Lee’s communications director, Robin Chand, wrote to the Washington Examiner. “This is no less true for those individuals whom you mentioned in your email, and their ability to help facilitate passage and enactment of this, and/or any of Congresswoman Jackson Lee’s bill(s).”
The topic of how to potentially make amends to black Americans for more than two centuries of slavery has been broached by many White House hopefuls, including Sens. Kamala Harris of California, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, but without specifics. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, zeroing in on the trend, criticized his fellow 2020 prospects last month during his CNN town hall.
“Can I tell you why I’m frustrated and disappointed by this reparations conversation? It’s because it’s being reduced to just a box to check on a presidential list when this is so much more of a serious conversation,” Booker said in March.
Booker, Harris, Sanders, and Warren are all scheduled to address the National Action Network Convention on Friday, along with Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, as well as Rep. Eric Swalwell of California.
Jackson Lee’s measure is a reiteration of a proposal first suggested by Rep. John Conyers of Michigan in 1989 to examine the history of slavery in the U.S. before recommending “appropriate remedies,” Chand told the Washington Examiner.
“In the past, the focus on the social effects of slavery, segregation, and its continuing economic implications had remained largely ignored by mainstream analysis,” Chand wrote, describing a call for reparations as “a commitment to entering a constructive dialogue on the role of slavery and racism in shaping present-day conditions both in our community and American society as a whole.”
“These economic issues are the root cause of many critical issues in the African American community today, such as education, healthcare, and criminal justice policy, including policing practices,” he added.
While the idea of a commission is gaining momentum on the primary campaign trail, it is unclear whether enthusiasm will peter out during the general election, particularly as the legislation may struggle to clear a Republican-controlled Senate.
The bill also faces consistently low public opinion. Research conducted in 2016 by Marist Poll found that 26 percent of respondents agreed the country should “pay money to African-Americans who are descendants of slaves.” A second survey by left-leaning Data for Progress in 2018 reported the same percentage in favor.
