Staff Reports
In a surprising move, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced his support for cash payments to black communities as a form of reparations. Kennedy, who is running as an independent candidate after previously campaigning as a Democrat, believes that these payments are necessary to address the ongoing disparities faced by black Americans.
JUST IN: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has come out in favor of delivering cash payments to black communities as a form of reparations.
DO YOU SUPPORT THIS? https://t.co/FgevwSpyTT
— Proud Elephant ??? (@ProudElephantUS) October 19, 2023
Kennedy’s campaign website outlines the various areas where black Americans continue to lag behind the rest of the population, including income, wealth, education, and healthcare. He argues that these disparities are a direct result of the country’s unhealed legacy of racism and must be addressed through targeted action.
While Kennedy’s proposals include prison reform, improving inner city schools, and police reform, his biggest priority is “targeted community repair.” This approach involves allocating federal funds to rebuild black infrastructure and providing redress payments or tax credits to the descendants of victims of discrimination.
Despite his support for these policies, Kennedy insists that this is not the same as race-based reparations. He argues that his program of Targeted Community Repair will benefit the poorest and most desperate communities in America, which happen to include a disproportionate number of black Americans. However, he also emphasizes that funds will be allocated to all poorer communities, regardless of demographics.
Kennedy’s support for reparations aligns him with the more left-leaning elements of the Democratic Party, including allies of Bernie Sanders like Cornel West. While President Biden has not commented directly on cash reparations, his support for studying the impact of such payments has angered the far-left wing of the party. It remains to be seen how Kennedy’s stance on this issue will influence his campaign and the broader conversation around reparations in America.
