The Guide
The debt owed to the descendants of American slavery is being argued in Congress, in statehouses and in city halls. Here is who is acting, what they have done, and where to read the official record yourself.
Legislation that would study, acknowledge or begin paying the debt owed to descendants of American slavery.
U.S. House · Reintroduced each Congress
Creates a federal commission to examine slavery and its continuing harms and to recommend remedies for the descendants of the enslaved.
Official source: Congress.govU.S. Senate · Reintroduced each Congress
The Senate version of the federal study commission, carrying the same charge to document the harm and propose redress.
Official source: Congress.govU.S. Congress · Resolution
Calls for a national commission on the history of slavery and its legacy. A first step toward accounting, not a settlement.
Official source: Congress.govCalifornia Legislature · Active sessions
Measures following the state task force report, including lineage-based eligibility and a dedicated agency.
Official source: California Legislative InformationLocal and state bodies acting on repair. Local programs matter, but they do not settle the federal debt.
California · Final report issued 2023
The first state task force on reparations for descendants of people enslaved in the United States. Its report documents harms and recommends remedies.
Official source: California Department of JusticeEvanston, Illinois · Payments underway
A city program funded by cannabis tax revenue that pays for housing harms tied to discrimination between 1919 and 1969.
Official source: City of EvanstonTulsa, Oklahoma · Ongoing
City records and investigations tied to the 1921 destruction of Greenwood, a case of direct, documented loss.
Official source: City of TulsaBoston, Massachusetts · Study underway
A city task force examining Boston's role in slavery and its lasting harms.
Official source: City of BostonNew York · Commission seated
A state commission studying slavery in New York and its continuing harms, charged to recommend remedies.
Official source: Office of the Governor of New YorkMaryland · Legislation advancing
Legislation to study the state's role in slavery and to recommend remedies for descendants.
Official source: Maryland General AssemblyGroups organizing, researching or litigating on reparations. Their eligibility frameworks differ; check each one's position.
National · Advocacy
Long-running national advocacy body pressing for reparations and supporting H.R. 40.
Official source: NAARCNational · Advocacy
The National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, organizing for repair since 1987.
Official source: N'COBRACalifornia · Advocacy
Advocates for lineage-based reparations for descendants of enslaved people in California.
Official source: CJECTulsa, Oklahoma · Legal advocacy
Pursues justice for survivors and descendants of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Official source: Justice for GreenwoodFederal records · Primary records
Freedmen's Bureau files, census rolls and other records that document lineage and the debt.
Official source: National ArchivesListing here is for reference and does not mean endorsement or affiliation. Local programs are welcome steps, but they do not settle the federal debt. Statuses change; check each official source for the latest.