In the pendulum-swinging political landscape of the US, racial equity initiatives remain vulnerable to the whims of changing administrations. Across the country, hard-won racial equity initiatives are being systematically dismantled – from diversity programmes to voting rights protections to fair housing enforcement. As someone who has spent years dedicated to economic and racial justice, I've watched this cycle repeat itself: progress followed by backlash, advancement followed by retreat.
A fundamental question keeps me up at night: How do we build racial justice that lasts? How do we create change so deep and foundational that it can't be swept away by the next political tide?
After years of advocacy and research, I've come to believe there's only one answer: a constitutional amendment guaranteeing comprehensive reparations for the descendants of slavery. This would make racial justice a fundamental obligation, not a political preference.
