In September 2024, four New York City elected officials introduced a series of groundbreaking bills aimed at advancing reparations for Black New Yorkers seeking to address the lasting impacts of systemic racism and historical injustices. Almost 200 years after slavery officially ended in New York, these measures acknowledge the ongoing effects of enslavement and envision a more just and equitable future for NYC’s Black community.

Enslaved people were first brought to New Amsterdam by Dutch settlers in the 1600s and by the 1700s New York City had one of the highest rates of slave ownership in the country, with between 15 and 20 percent of the population enslaved. While national discussions around reparations have stalled in Congress since the 1980s, New York City and other communities across the nation are taking it upon themselves to explore their own forms of reparative justice. In NYC these initiatives range from public apologies and memorials to addressing persistent inequalities in housing, healthcare, and legal services.

Join Council Members Crystal Hudson, Nantasha Williams, and others behind this historic city-wide legislative effort as they unpack the goals of their proposed bills, discuss the path toward reparations, and explore how restorative justice can create lasting change for Black communities in New York City. The panel will be moderated by Linda Tigani, Executive Director of the NYC Commission on Racial Equity, which is working closely with the NYC Council to create a meaningful framework for racial justice.

This program is co-sponsored by Brooklyn Public Library Government Affairs and BPL’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. It is also part of our on-going series Just Conversations with Brooklyn Org.

About Just Conversations

Just Conversations is a series co-presented by the Center for Brooklyn History and Brooklyn Org that brings into dialogue issues facing our borough, city, and society and gives voice to the change makers who move us towards a more equitable future.