Grassroots group calls for $15 billion in reparations from Boston

Boston, Massachusetts - The Boston Peoples Reparations Commission has called on the city to pay $15 billion in reparations, including direct cash payouts and work towards addressing the racial education gap.

The Boston Peoples Reparations Commission has requested $15 billion in reparations to address the city's past and present racial discrimination.
The Boston Peoples Reparations Commission has requested $15 billion in reparations to address the city's past and present racial discrimination.  © IMAGO / imagebroker

The organization announced the new proposal on Saturday.

"The wealth of this city was built on slavery," Rev. Kevin Peterson said, per NBC Boston. "And the city is responsible to pay back the wealth they extracted free of charge from other human beings who died at some point in the labor for this city."

The commission is looking to split the $15 billion in three ways.

Marjorie Taylor Greene repeats claim that Democrats are "pedophiles" over Biden's clemency grant
Marjorie Taylor Greene Marjorie Taylor Greene repeats claim that Democrats are "pedophiles" over Biden's clemency grant

$5 billion would go toward Black Bostonians through direct cash payouts via checks, another $5 million would be invested in new financial institutions, and the final third would go towards measures to address the racial education gap and anti-crime efforts.

"We demand from [Boston] Mayor [Michelle] Wu full monetary compensation for lost wages and lost lives through slavery and anti-Black institutional oppression," Peterson said.

The call comes after the city named members of the reparations task force, established in 2022, who have been working to map Boston's patterns of racial discrimination and develop proposals for reparations.

Cover photo: IMAGO / imagebroker

More on Reparations: