Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., is set to introduce a sweeping resolution on Thursday urging the U.S. government to commit trillions of dollars toward reparations for Black Americans. The “Reparations Now Resolution” aims to address centuries of systemic racism and injustice stemming from slavery, Jim Crow laws, and discriminatory government policies.
Lee, speaking during a Capitol Hill event titled “Why We Can’t Wait: Advancing Reparative Justice in Our Lifetime,” emphasized that the country has a “moral and legal obligation” to pursue reparative justice.
“This is a moment in time where societies are shaped. New societies are built,” she said. “We should be the ones who are shaping it.”
Lee also criticized former President Donald Trump’s swift elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives with the stroke of a pen, arguing that true restoration for Black Americans must go deeper than programs that can be dismantled so easily.
“They’re trying to build what comes next in their image,” Lee warned, referencing the Trump administration. “And we better fight like hell to make sure that we’re building it in our image.”
The resolution cites the long legacy of racial injustice in the U.S. as justification for trillions in reparative spending, calling for investments aimed at reversing disparities in housing, education, and healthcare that continue to affect descendants of enslaved people.
Lee’s move builds on momentum from Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., who in February reintroduced legislation to create a federal commission tasked with studying slavery and recommending reparations proposals. Pressley called out what she described as rising anti-Black sentiment and urged lawmakers not to shy away from racial justice efforts.
“We are in a moment of anti-Blackness on steroids, and we refuse to be silent,” Pressley said.
Blue states like California have also explored reparations proposals, with state task forces and local governments debating compensation models to address historical racial disparities.
While the proposal is unlikely to gain traction in the Republican-led House, it underscores a growing push within progressive circles to prioritize reparative justice as a policy goal at both state and federal levels.