Boston activists call for $15 billion in reparations, says the city must ‘fully commit to writing checks’

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Boston reparations task force member looks to 'reconcile, repair' areas of education, health, wealth gaps

Boston Reparations Task Force member L’Merchie Frazier told Fox News Digital that the examination of the history of slavery practices in the U.S. could lead to 'real dollars.'

A group of activists in Boston called for the city to "fully commit to writing checks" and for a $15 billion payout since the city’s wealth was built on slavery.

An activist named Rev. Kevin C. Peterson delivered remarks on how the City of Boston should implement reparations at a press conference in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood on Saturday. 

The $15 billion will be made "towards making right the wrong perpetuated on Boston's Blacks," Peterson said at a news conference. "The wealth of this city was built on slavery."  

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Rev. Kevin C. Peterson, the founder of the New Democracy Coalition and the Faneuil Hall Race, delivered remarks at a press conference in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood to announce a proposal on how the City of Boston should implement reparations. (Rev. Kevin C. Peterson)

Peterson, the founder of Boston Peoples Reparations Commission, held a news conference this past weekend to call for a "specific initial monetary payout to Boston’s Black residents."

"We demand from Mayor Wu full monetary compensation for wages and lost lives through slavery and anti-Black institutional oppression," Peterson said. "Today we call on a full and robust reparations process."

NBC Boston reported that Peterson advocated for the $15 billion to be comprised of three different types of payments. One form would be $5 billion of cash payments to Boston's Black residents.

Another $5 billion to invest in new financial institutions and the rest to address the racial disparities in education and anti-crime measures.

The $15 billion proposal is over three times the amount of Boston's annual budget, which was set at $4.28 billion for fiscal year 2024.

Peterson's press conference came after he released a statement on Friday claiming that a "debt must be paid in dollars." 

"It’s not enough to talk about the vagaries of healthcare, housing and public education reform for Blacks in Boston as part of a reparations bill," Peterson said in a statement released Friday per Boston 25 News. "The reality is that labor and lives were stolen from Blacks in Boston. Money is owed. A debt must be paid in dollars."

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Democratic Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced last month that the city has established teams that will play a role in the city's reparations task force.  (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm, File)

Their statement goes on to address the City of Boston’s historical ties to slavery and "centuries of institutional racism."

"The reparations effort in Boston will not be domesticated into simple historical studies and meaningless rhetoric about equity and diversity in some future time," their statement reads. "We call on the Task Force to fully commit to writing checks that will compensate Black Bostonians and fiscally support the creation of new institutions in our community."

Democratic Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced last month that the city has established teams that will play a role in the city's reparations task force. 

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Wu said the Boston Reparations Task Force will consist of one team of historians that will research the city of Boston’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and the impact of slavery on the city. 

Certain task force members were tasked by the city of Boston to evaluate the historians who would aid other task force members in developing a report of recommendations for the mayor. 

Boston Reparations Task Force member L’Merchie told Fox News Digital that the examination of the history and consequences of slavery practices in the U.S. could yield to "real dollars." (Fox News Digital)

L’Merchie Frazier, one of the members tasked to evaluate historian candidates, told Fox News Digital that the historians selected for the project are "important" as they will help other task force members "come to some concrete decision-making that is informed."

After examining the city’s slave history and its impact on current residents, the Boston Reparations Task Force will create a report of recommendations "for reparative justice solutions" to aid Black residents for the city officials to consider, the website for the task force states.

The Boston Peoples Reparations Commission posted on its website that it called for Mayor Wu to begin the process of establishing a reparations commission in 2020. They also petitioned for the city of Boston to formally apologize for the "civic sin of racism," which led to the City Council in 2022 unanimously voting to pass a resolution apologizing for its legacy of "systemic White supremacy and racism."

A spokesperson sent Fox News Digital a statement saying that Peterson's press conference was not hosted by the Boston Reparations Task Force.

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"The City of Boston's Task Force on Reparations is working with a research partner to study the legacy of slavery in Boston, and will ultimately provide recommendations to Mayor Wu for reparative justice solutions for Black residents," the spokesperson said.

"The Task Force will continue to meet to ensure any future decisions are informed by research and with the input of Boston's community members."