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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - How Maryland's governor can reframe the politics of reparations
Maryland's Gov. Wes Moore (D) recently caused a stir in the movement for reparations in his state. The nation's only Black governor, he vetoed a bill to assess the wrongs of slavery and Jim Crow and propose various remedies. The act had been championed by the state legislature and the Black Caucus, and there is even now talk of overriding his veto. However, Maryland's Black political leadership may be overlooking an alternative strategy to address the politics of reparations. It draws inspiration from how America handled the rebuilding of Europe and Japan after World War II. And Moore, as the nation's only sitting Black governor, can reframe the issue's politics and enhance Black community self-governance. He can initiate a summit to establish a development bank for the descendants of slavery and Jim Crow. What follows is a description of how such a bank can benefit the quest for reparations, why Moore was probably wise to veto the state bill and why Maryland is the place to incorporate a 'reparations bank.' After World War II, the U.S. led the effort to establish a development bank to finance the reconstruction of war-torn Europe and Japan. The multilateral initiative was crucial to a broader package of assistance that came to be known as the Marshall Plan. In a similar fashion, Moore can take the lead to charter a bank to finance the reconstruction of distressed Black communities. Beyond the current efforts of advocates to pursue restitution through piecemeal claims, a bank could be a more efficient way to center the creation of Black institutional wealth. Moore could oversee a summit of political leaders and community banking professionals to craft a mission statement for the reparations bank. It could include members of Maryland's legislative Black Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus and consultants from Black-owned financial institutions like the Harbor Bank of Maryland. The charter would designate the entity under federal regulations for community development financial institutions and Maryland's community banking laws. Though located in Maryland, the fund would invest in worthy projects for moderate-income Black communities across the country. It would be administered by banking professionals and monitored by an independent accounting service. The development bank would primarily seek private donations and corporate depositors and would pool the funds and collaborate with Black-owned banks, credit unions and attuned financial institutions to vet proposals for planning grants, microfinancing and long-term loans. It could invest in small-scale projects in areas such as cooperative housing and stores, community development corporation charter schools, healthcare and infrastructure projects, and programs for occupational training and entrepreneurship. It would have a rotating board of directors selected from dues-paying organizations that represent the foundational Black community — namely, those that suffered the wrongs of slavery and Jim Crow. Moore was wise to veto the state bill. American political culture has changed dramatically since the days of racial justice activism after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd. During that period, advocates for reparations in California, Illinois and New York found sympathetic allies for legislation to study the subject. But even those initiatives skirted the issue of cash reparations in favor of noneconomic measures like a formal apology. Since then, public sentiment has turned against proposals for racial remedy, and especially the use of public funds for restitution. Other than Black Americans, most groups tend to oppose the idea of reparations, and the empathy for the Black Lives Matters movement was short lived, according to the Pew Research Center. And Democratic Party leaders have expressed concern about the effect of identity politics in the presidential election. As such, advocates may need to explore alternative strategies other than lobbying for a public accounting in the states. The development bank proposal would rely on private funding rather than public. The Trump administration is openly dismissive of Black history and its meaning for contemporary justice. On the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, for example, the president condemned diversity policies in the armed services during a speech at West Point. Yet Trump brushed aside the historic role of 700 Black patriots — free and enslaved — that participated in the founding of the U.S. Army under frigid conditions at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. And, though speaking to cadets during the Memorial Day weekend, he neglected to describe how ex-slaves started the Memorial Day holiday after the Civil War. The first commemoration of American war casualties is believed to have occurred on May 1, 1865. That's when emancipated Black workers unearthed a mass grave of Union soldiers near a Confederate prison in Charleston, South Carolina. They reburied the men in a dignified manner and honored their sacrifices to preserve the Union and to end slavery. Additionally, Maryland is the place to get the ball rolling. In criticizing Moore's veto, the legislative Black Caucus noted that the statehouse in Annapolis is less than a mile from the old slave port at the city dock. Yet Maryland symbolizes far more in Black history and contemporary political culture — foremost, its distinction for a high level of statewide political influence. This trend began in 2022 with the election of Moore as governor and Anthony Brown as attorney general — the first Black leaders elected to those offices in the 237-year history of the 'Free State.' Meanwhile, Angela Alsobrooks extended the momentum in her winning campaign for a U.S. Senate seat last year. Maryland is thus the only state where representatives of a sizable Black community have deep roots in the political culture. As such, it is arguably the symbolic capital of Black America. And as governor, Moore is in a position to host a historic summit for the establishment of a development bank for the descendants of slavery and Jim Crow. Roger House is professor emeritus of American Studies at Emerson College and the author of 'Blue Smoke: The Recorded Journey of Big Bill Broonzy' and 'South End Shout: Boston's Forgotten Music Scene in the Jazz Age.' His forthcoming book is 'Five Hundred Years of Black Self-Governance: A Call to Conscience.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
How Maryland's governor can reframe the politics of reparations
Maryland's Gov. Wes Moore (D) recently caused a stir in the movement for reparations in his state. The nation's only Black governor, he vetoed a bill to assess the wrongs of slavery and Jim Crow and propose various remedies. The act had been championed by the state legislature and the Black Caucus, and there is even now talk of overriding his veto. However, Maryland's Black political leadership may be overlooking an alternative strategy to address the politics of reparations. It draws inspiration from how America handled the rebuilding of Europe and Japan after World War II. And Moore, as the nation's only sitting Black governor, can reframe the issue's politics and enhance Black community self-governance. He can initiate a summit to establish a development bank for the descendants of slavery and Jim Crow. What follows is a description of how such a bank can benefit the quest for reparations, why Moore was probably wise to veto the state bill and why Maryland is the place to incorporate a 'reparations bank.' After World War II, the U.S. led the effort to establish a development bank to finance the reconstruction of war-torn Europe and Japan. The multilateral initiative was crucial to a broader package of assistance that came to be known as the Marshall Plan. In a similar fashion, Moore can take the lead to charter a bank to finance the reconstruction of distressed Black communities. Beyond the current efforts of advocates to pursue restitution through piecemeal claims, a bank could be a more efficient way to center the creation of Black institutional wealth. Moore could oversee a summit of political leaders and community banking professionals to craft a mission statement for the reparations bank. It could include members of Maryland's legislative Black Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus and consultants from Black-owned financial institutions like the Harbor Bank of Maryland. The charter would designate the entity under federal regulations for community development financial institutions and Maryland's community banking laws. Though located in Maryland, the fund would invest in worthy projects for moderate-income Black communities across the country. It would be administered by banking professionals and monitored by an independent accounting service. The development bank would primarily seek private donations and corporate depositors and would pool the funds and collaborate with Black-owned banks, credit unions and attuned financial institutions to vet proposals for planning grants, microfinancing and long-term loans. It could invest in small-scale projects in areas such as cooperative housing and stores, community development corporation charter schools, healthcare and infrastructure projects, and programs for occupational training and entrepreneurship. It would have a rotating board of directors selected from dues-paying organizations that represent the foundational Black community — namely, those that suffered the wrongs of slavery and Jim Crow. Moore was wise to veto the state bill. American political culture has changed dramatically since the days of racial justice activism after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd. During that period, advocates for reparations in California, Illinois and New York found sympathetic allies for legislation to study the subject. But even those initiatives skirted the issue of cash reparations in favor of noneconomic measures like a formal apology. Since then, public sentiment has turned against proposals for racial remedy, and especially the use of public funds for restitution. Other than Black Americans, most groups tend to oppose the idea of reparations, and the empathy for the Black Lives Matters movement was short lived, according to the Pew Research Center. And Democratic Party leaders have expressed concern about the effect of identity politics in the presidential election. As such, advocates may need to explore alternative strategies other than lobbying for a public accounting in the states. The development bank proposal would rely on private funding rather than public. The Trump administration is openly dismissive of Black history and its meaning for contemporary justice. On the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, for example, the president condemned diversity policies in the armed services during a speech at West Point. Yet Trump brushed aside the historic role of 700 Black patriots — free and enslaved — that participated in the founding of the U.S. Army under frigid conditions at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. And, though speaking to cadets during the Memorial Day weekend, he neglected to describe how ex-slaves started the Memorial Day holiday after the Civil War. The first commemoration of American war casualties is believed to have occurred on May 1, 1865. That's when emancipated Black workers unearthed a mass grave of Union soldiers near a Confederate prison in Charleston, South Carolina. They reburied the men in a dignified manner and honored their sacrifices to preserve the Union and to end slavery. Additionally, Maryland is the place to get the ball rolling. In criticizing Moore's veto, the legislative Black Caucus noted that the statehouse in Annapolis is less than a mile from the old slave port at the city dock. Yet Maryland symbolizes far more in Black history and contemporary political culture — foremost, its distinction for a high level of statewide political influence. This trend began in 2022 with the election of Moore as governor and Anthony Brown as attorney general — the first Black leaders elected to those offices in the 237-year history of the 'Free State.' Meanwhile, Angela Alsobrooks extended the momentum in her winning campaign for a U.S. Senate seat last year. Maryland is thus the only state where representatives of a sizable Black community have deep roots in the political culture. As such, it is arguably the symbolic capital of Black America. And as governor, Moore is in a position to host a historic summit for the establishment of a development bank for the descendants of slavery and Jim Crow. Roger House is professor emeritus of American Studies at Emerson College and the author of 'Blue Smoke: The Recorded Journey of Big Bill Broonzy' and 'South End Shout: Boston's Forgotten Music Scene in the Jazz Age.' His forthcoming book is 'Five Hundred Years of Black Self-Governance: A Call to Conscience.'
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- General
- Miami Herald
Booker T. grad was one of 3 Black students who integrated Duke, which honors him
There is just something about some people where you know they are in the world for a special purpose. Even growing up in the 1940s and 1950s during the Jim Crow/segregation era didn't diminish that notion. You just knew they were marked for greatness. My friend, David Robinson II, is such a person. At its May 11 commencement, Duke University awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree to David, who was born and raised in Miami's Overtown. David was one of three Black students — his fellow law school classmate, the late Walter Johnson of Greensboro, N.C., and a graduate divinity school student, the late R.L. Speaks — to integrate the North Carolina university in 1961. Months before the three arrived at the school in the fall of 1961, the university's board of trustees had voted to desegregate Duke's graduate and professional schools. It would be two more years before the undergraduate classes would be integrated. 'To have such an honor bestowed on you by an institution like Duke is the icing on the cake,' said David, 85. 'I am glad I am alive for the flowers, and to be able to smell them while I still can.' David was the seventh of nine siblings. Today, he and his 'baby sister' Yvonne Eickett are the sole survivors of their immediate family. I first met David when we both attended Booker T. Washington Jr./Sr. High School in Miami. He graduated in 1957; I graduated in 1956. I still can remember how quiet, friendly and neatly dressed he was. He also was the sweetheart of one of my dear friends, Delores Collie Sands Lockett. While David took part in the usual teenage things — 'going dancing' in the gym after a basketball game, 'taking company' (courting), and attending events in the school's auditorium — there was always a seriousness about him. 'We didn't call people who acted like him nerds back then,' said Georgena Davis Ford, David's classmate and neighbor. 'But that's who he was. He was a good dude. Smart but quiet and friendly — and a very sharp dresser. We used to call each other 'Boolu.' I don't know where we got that nickname, but it stuck.' Graduated top of his class at Howard After graduating from Booker T, David attended Howard University in Washington, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude in 1961. It was while at Howard that his life would change. David was a senior at Howard when Elvin R. 'Jack' Latty, then dean of Duke Law, asked the dean of students at Howard to recommend a student who had the academic credentials and emotional stability to integrate Duke's law school. 'Remember … this was in 1961, years before the Civil Rights Act [of 1964] would be put in place,' David said. 'People were dying just for the opportunity to vote. 'Nobody in my family wanted me to go to Duke. They felt it would be too dangerous, but I saw the scholarship as the opportunity of a lifetime and accepted it. The folks at Duke called me a 'barrier breaker.' But to me, attending Duke University as an African American was simply a no-brainer. I had to go.' David stayed on Duke's campus and said Latty, a professor and dean at Duke Law for 35 years, became a 'father figure' to him. 'I never had a problem the entire three years I was at Duke,' he said. When David graduated from Duke Law in 1964, more opportunities were available for Black students and the Federal Reserve Board in Washington hired him as its first African American attorney. David stayed there for three years before becoming Xerox Corp.'s first Black lawyer — its third lawyer overall. In 1978, he was named senior counsel for Xerox operations on the West Coast When he retired from Xerox in 1988, David was assistant general counsel. By that time, Xerox had gone from its original three lawyers to more than 100, many of whom David hired. But David didn't stop there. 'The third and final leg of my legal career was here in Miami-Dade County, where I was appointed general counsel to the 11th Judicial Circuit. I retired from that position in 1999,' he said. He was the Judicial Circuit's first general counsel. Since his retirement, David has immersed himself in his work at the Second Baptist Church of Richmond Heights, where he heads the seniors ministry and provides pro bono work for seniors. He is a member of the Booker T. Washington High School Alumni Association, where he helps to raise money for college scholarships, faculty support and academic programs. He and his wife of 42 years, Wylene, live in the Falls area in South Miami-Dade. They have a blended family of five children and five grandchildren. 'Duke is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and the folks there still tell me I was a 'barrier breaker,' ' he said with a chuckle. And I say that's an understatement. Grove Arts Festival scholarship winners Kudos to the 15 talented high school graduates who were each awarded a $3,000 scholarship from the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. 'These young artists are truly extraordinary,' said Dave Hill, chairman of the festival's board, said in a press release. 'Recognizing their contributions to our creative community and helping them pursue their dreams through education is one of the most meaningful things we do each year.' The $45,000 is part of the festival's $75,000 annual scholarship fund, which also supports students in Florida International University's art programs. The 2025 high school scholarship winners are: Alexandra Guerra, Design and Architecture Senior High, Anacarolina Paz, Barbara Goleman Senior High; Anisia Mike, New World School of the Arts; Brianna Vargas, Miami Lakes Educational Center; Emma Chala, New World School of the Arts; Gabriela Cabrera-Flores, Arthur and Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts; and Janae Crespo, New World School of the Arts. Also, Layla Hanfland, New World School of the Arts; Leonna Anderson, Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High; Lucia Adrianzen, Design and Architecture Senior High; Megan Diaz, Miami Senior High; Konstantina Papadaki, Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior; Nyle Jones, Design and Architecture Senior High; Rome Negas, Design and Architecture Senior High, and Sofia Lataczewski, New World School of the Arts.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Sinners brings cinematic spotlight to Clarksdale, Mississippi
Clarksdale, Mississippi didn't just provide history and blues for director and writer Ryan Coogler's hit movie about art, Jim Crow, and vampires. One of the Mississippi Delta town's musicians contributed to the Sinners script. After a special screening in the town, which has no cinema, Coogler told the audience gathered in a community hall about the first time he described the movie's plot to a group of Clarksdale blues musicians he had asked to contribute to the score. He said he hesitated when he got to the part about the vampires. He went ahead. Then, Grammy winner Bobby Rush filled the silence. "I had a girl once that was a vampire," the musician joked. The line was given to Delta Slim, played by Delroy Lindo, a piano-playing character who brings both comic relief and depth to the movie. Watch: The trailer for Sinners Thursday's screening and discussion came after Tyler Yarbrough, a community organiser and movie buff in Clarksdale, wrote an open letter asking Coogler and Warner Brothers to bring the movie to a town where people drive 80 miles (130km) to Memphis, Tennessee to get to a cinema. Warner Brothers outfitted the Clarksdale Civic Auditorium with a big screen, projector, and sound system. There was even popcorn. Sinners has been widely acclaimed by reviewers and moviegoers, who praised the film for its stars' performances, its showcasing of African American art, and its wrestling with painful history and big ideas. According to Variety, by the end of its opening month of April, Sinners had grossed $122.5 million in North America and $161.6 million worldwide. At what was billed as a community screening, it was apparent the community was not just the geographical entity of Clarksdale. The audience came together around art and American history, including Jim Crow, the legal and often brutally policed racial hierarchy that subjugated black people in America's south. Shelby Simes arrived at 7am from nearby West Helena, Arkansas, earning first place in a queue that had grown to hundreds by the time the doors opened about an hour before Thursday's 11am screening, the first of six scheduled over three days. Simes said Coogler's film, which she had already seen seven times, was particularly important at a time when what many see as the truth about the black American experience has been criticised by President Donald Trump as "improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology". "They're taking books off shelves," Simes said. "They're not teaching us properly in the schools." She said with Sinners, which is fiction but offers a realistic portrayal of the Jim Crow era, Coogler and his team made the past tangible. "I love how they were able to create a path to talk to our ancestors," she said, echoing the reaction of other black viewers. Michael Johansson, who has worked with community members to memorialise lynchings in the county where the University of Mississippi is located, said it made sense for Coogler to weave vampire folklore into his storyline. "The horror genre is appropriate for the damage, the cruelty, the barbarism of what has been done to blacks in this nation," said Johansson, who came from Jackson to see the movie on Thursday. Andrea Driver, who supports library sciences students at the University of Mississippi in Jackson, was touched on a personal level. She cried when she saw that a young character had survived horror and reached old age. "He somehow carried that experience with him for years and didn't perish, didn't take his own life. I don't know that I could live with those memories my whole life," she said, saying it spoke to the experience of many black Americans. Poet C Liegh McInnis, who was born and raised in Clarksdale, noted the hometown audience recited the Lord's Prayer along with a character during a tense moment in the film. He said Coogler had drawn from history, folklore, and religion. "I love the fact that Coogler gave us a three-dimensional film," he said. Sinners is set at a time when Clarksdale was a bustling agricultural centre in which black residents were exploited. Many fled north, bringing the blues to cities such as Chicago and Kansas City. While Coogler set his movie in Clarksdale, he filmed it in neighbouring Louisiana, in part because Mississippi lacked infrastructure such as the soundstages he needed. Clarksdale Mayor Chuck Espy said the attention Sinners had brought could help revive his majority-black town of about 14,000, where 40% live under the poverty line. He hoped to capitalise on Clarksdale's status as a cultural capital by expanding performance and educational opportunities. Director Coogler saw a future for Clarksdale because of the entrepreneurial spirit that led residents to reach out for Thursday's screening, and its cultural resources. "The thing that you guys have is a thing that can't be taught," he said.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Coogler's 'Sinners' brings cinematic spotlight to Clarksdale, Mississippi
* Community screening highlights film's portrayal of African American history * Coogler sees potential for Clarksdale's cultural and entrepreneurial growth * Clarksdale musicians contributed to 'Sinners' script and score CLARKSDALE, Mississippi, - Clarksdale didn't just provide history and blues for director and writer Ryan Coogler's hit movie about art, Jim Crow and vampires. One of the Mississippi Delta town's musicians contributed to the "Sinners" script. After a special screening in the town, which has no cinema, Coogler told the audience gathered in a community hall about the first time he described the movie's plot to a group of Clarksdale blues musicians he had asked to contribute to the score. He said he hesitated when he got to the part about the vampires. He went ahead. Then, Grammy winner Bobby Rush filled the silence. "I had a girl once that was a vampire," the musician joked. The line was given to Delta Slim, played by Delroy Lindo, a piano-playing character who brings both comic relief and depth to the movie. Thursday's screening and discussion came after Tyler Yarbrough, a community organizer and movie buff in Clarksdale, wrote an open letter asking Coogler and Warner Brothers to bring the movie to a town where people drive 80 miles to Memphis, Tennessee to get to a cinema. Warner Brothers outfitted the Clarksdale Civic Auditorium with a big screen, projector and sound system. There was even popcorn. "Sinners" has been widely acclaimed by reviewers and moviegoers, who praised the film for its stars' performances, its showcasing of African American art, and its wrestling with painful history and big ideas. According to Variety, by the end of its opening month of April "Sinners" had grossed $122.5 million in North America and $161.6 million worldwide. At what was billed as a community screening, it was apparent the community was not just the geographical entity of Clarksdale. The audience came together around art and American history, including Jim Crow, the legal and often brutally policed racial hierarchy that subjugated Black people in America's South. Shelby Simes arrived at 7 a.m. from nearby West Helena, Arkansas, earning first place in a line that had grown to hundreds by the time the doors opened about an hour before Thursday's 11 a.m. screening, the first of six scheduled over three days. Simes said Coogler's film, which she had already seen seven times, was particularly important at a time when what many see as the truth about the Black American experience has been criticized by President Donald Trump as "improper, divisive or anti-American ideology." "They're taking books off shelves," Simes said. "They're not teaching us properly in the schools." She said with "Sinners," which is fiction but offers a realistic portrayal of the Jim Crow era, Coogler and his team made the past tangible. "I love how they were able to create a path to talk to our ancestors," she said, echoing the reaction of other Black viewers. Michael Johansson, who has worked with community members to memorialize lynchings in the county where the University of Mississippi is located, said it made sense for Coogler to weave vampire folklore into his storyline. "The horror genre is appropriate for the damage, the cruelty, the barbarism of what has been done to Blacks in this nation," said Johansson, who came from Jackson to see the movie on Thursday. Andrea Driver, who supports library sciences students at the University of Mississippi in Jackson, was touched on a personal level. She cried when she saw that a young character had survived horror and reached old age. "He somehow carried that experience with him for years and didn't perish, didn't take his own life. I don't know that I could live with those memories my whole life," she said, saying it spoke to the experience of many Black Americans. Poet C. Liegh McInnis, who was born and raised in Clarksdale, noted the hometown audience recited the Lord's Prayer along with a character during a tense moment in the film. He said Coogler had drawn from history, folklore and religion. "I love the fact that Coogler gave us a three-dimensional film," he said. "Sinners" is set at a time when Clarksdale was a bustling agricultural center in which Black residents were exploited. Many fled north, bringing the blues to cities such as Chicago and Kansas City. While Coogler set his movie in Clarksdale, he filmed it in neighboring Louisiana, in part because Mississippi lacked infrastructure such as the soundstages he needed. Clarksdale Mayor Chuck Espy said the attention "Sinners" had brought could help revive his majority Black town of about 14,000, where 40% live under the poverty line. He hoped to capitalize on Clarksdale's status as a cultural capital by expanding performance and educational opportunities. Coogler saw a future for Clarksdale because of the entrepreneurial spirit that led residents to reach out for Thursday's screening, and its cultural resources. "The thing that you guys have is a thing that can't be taught," he said.
