How Reparations From 1865’s “40 Acres” Shape 2023’s Fight for Racial Justice

1. Historical Context (Pre-2000s)

In 1865, General William Tecumseh Sherman’s Special Field Order No. 15 promised “40 acres and a mule” to freed Black families, a pledge later revoked by President Andrew Johnson, leaving systemic inequities unaddressed [[7]]. Nearly a century later, Congressman John Conyers introduced H.R. 40 in 1987, calling for a federal commission to study reparations—a bill that remained stagnant for decades due to political resistance [[7]].

• Example: The unfulfilled promise of land redistribution → California’s 2023 reparations task force prioritizing community investments.

2. Modern Developments (2010s–2023)

California’s 2023 reparations task force marked a turning point, proposing $1.6 million in pilot grants for Black-owned businesses and housing initiatives [[3]]. Grassroots efforts like the Movement for Black Lives’ policy platform now demand reparations through local budget reforms, such as Oakland’s “Equity Resilience Hubs” funded by cannabis tax revenue. Meanwhile, 14 states have introduced reparations bills since 2020, though only Illinois and California have enacted comprehensive frameworks.

3. Practical Takeaways

Readers can drive change by:

• Advocating: Contact city councils to endorse reparations studies using templates from the NAACP’s 2023 toolkit.
• Investing: Support community land trusts in cities like Detroit and Atlanta, which pool resources for Black homeownership.
• Digitizing: Archive oral histories via the African American Oral History Collection Project to document systemic harms.