Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s veto of Senate Bill 587, which would have established the Maryland Reparations Commission to conduct a two-year study of whether the state should provide reparations to citizens impacted by the state’s history of slavery and inequality, drew the ire of the Legislative Black Caucus, which had vehemently fought for passage of the bill. Democrats hold supermajorities in both the Senate and House of Delegates and should be able to override Moore’s veto if they decide to go that route.
Moore based his veto on the fact that several initiatives addressing racial inequities in the state have been enacted, including several studies of the problems. As the only black governor in the United States, he assured lawmakers that he supported the bill’s goals and objectives but did not believe the time was right for another study. He stated he believed time and resources would be better spent on narrowing the wealth gap, promoting homeownership, expanding economic opportunities, and addressing foundational disparities, such as education.
Black lawmakers and their allies pushed back, pointing out the White House’s attacks on DEI and black history, that this was precisely the time to highlight the historical facts about discrimination and unfair practices in Maryland. The legislation does not promote monetary reparations, although they are not entirely ruled out. The commission could recommend remedies, including apology statements, debt forgiveness, property tax rebates, and additional social services. Maryland joins California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, and Illinois as having introduced bills to address reparations. Evanston, IL, was the first city to approve a reparations plan for African Americans.
There have been calls for reparations in the past, but they have primarily been symbolic. There were congressional proposals in the 1890s, but none passed. In 1989, the late John Conyers introduced H.R. 40, a bill calling for the study of reparations that was reintroduced in succeeding Congresses to no avail. There were renewed calls to study reparations leading up to the 2020 elections. While certainly merited, Senate Bill 587 would likely not do much to move the needle.
A 2022 study of the state’s housing market, mandated by the 2021 Senate Bill 859, concluded, “Maryland’s housing markets continue to exhibit the legacy of discrimination, segregation, and redlining.” It stated that nonwhite borrowers and homeowners face disproportionate difficulty obtaining loans, lower home values, and disparities in appraisal values. It concluded that without intervention, the inequities would continue with poorer outcomes in wealth and economic advancement for people of color.
Noted scholar W.E.B. DuBois said race or “the color line” would be the defining issue for the 20th century, and it has been front and center in American policy and politics. The defenders of the status quo have used it to divide and obscure consequential issues such as economic inequality. We can argue whether race-based solutions are more transformational than race-neutral approaches. However, there is little argument that we have taken our eyes off the need for more egalitarianism and less oligarchy.
Taking on economic inequality in society may not undo the injustices of the past that have led to the racial inequities of the present; however, putting more resources into the hands of middle and lower-income people may reduce the tensions between racial groups and lead to better outcomes for everyone—the John F. Kennedy notion that “a rising tide will lift all boats.”
There seems little chance that reparations will repair the damage of past discrimination and denial of opportunity. Transformation may come if we eliminate unjust practices that continue post slavery, through Jim Crow, until this day, and that is the miseducation of black children. If I were to have reparations, I would want it as a commitment to grant equal educational opportunities to all children, and the only way to do that would be to reform how we finance public education in this country.
Race and class both matter. Too often, we focus so much on race that we have overlooked our march towards oligarchy and our slide into authoritarianism. We can tackle both.