Vice President Kamala Harris is doubling down on her support for beginning a process to implement reparations for the descendants of slaves. During an appearance on Tuesday’s “Charlamagne Tha God” radio show, she emphasized the supposed importance of the issue: “It has to be studied,” she stated.
Hosted by Lenard Larry McKelvey, known professionally as Charlamagne Tha God, the radio program is thought to reach to black voters. Harris has recently scrambled to reinforce her support among this voter demographic, as polling has shown black men—especially among the youth—are shifting towards her opponent, former President Donald J. Trump.
As a former U.S. senator representing California, Harris co-sponsored legislation aimed at establishing a federal commission on reparations. This commission would be tasked with making recommendations regarding payments to descendants of slaves.
The National Pulse reported in early September that Harris wouldn’t discount the use of executive action on reparations. Speaking in a highly scripted exchange with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee left the door open to bypassing Congress and using presidential authority.
“I’m not discounting the importance of any executive action,” Harris said, adding: “But ultimately, Congress [should be involved], because if you’re going to talk about it in any substantial way, there will be hearings, there will be a level of public education and dialogue.”
In the United States, reparations discussions have primarily focused on the possibility of providing financial compensation to descendants of black slaves.
