The reading room
Books, films, and movement organizations that deepen the case for the debt owed to Foundational Black Americans — descendants of people enslaved in the United States.
Selected from a lineage-based perspective: reparations are restitution and rightful inheritance, not charity. Historical works provide context; broader coalitions may use different eligibility frameworks. Inclusion does not imply endorsement or affiliation.
Reparations advocacy
William A. Darity Jr. & A. Kirsten Mullen · Second edition, 2022
An economic case for a federally funded reparations program, including lineage-based eligibility and a framework for addressing the wealth gap created by slavery and subsequent government policy.
Publisher & book detailsReparations advocacy
Randall Robinson · 2000
Frames slavery and its aftermath as an unpaid national obligation. A foundational argument for restitution, with proposals that extend beyond direct financial compensation.
Publisher & book detailsHistorical context
Mary Frances Berry · 2005
Documents Callie House and the movement for pensions for formerly enslaved people — an early organized demand for repayment of labor stolen under American slavery.
Publisher & book detailsHistorical context
Directed by Erika Alexander & Whitney Dow · PBS, 2023
Follows Robin Rue Simmons and the debate around Evanston’s local reparations initiative. A case study in organizing and implementation, not a substitute for the federal debt owed to descendants of American slavery.
Film & viewing informationHistorical context
Directed by Sam Pollard · PBS, 2012
Examines coercive labor systems that persisted after emancipation, including convict leasing. Historical evidence for understanding continuing harm, rather than a specific reparations platform.
Film & viewing informationLineage-based advocacy
Research & policy
Describes its mission as research and policy development for descendants of American slavery. Its own terminology includes ‘Black Holocaust descendants in America.’
Visit organizationLineage-based advocacy
Civic & policy advocacy
A civic and policy organization whose stated priorities include reparations, economic strength, and community advancement for Foundational Black Americans.
Visit organizationBroader coalition
National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America
A longstanding coalition campaigning for reparations for African descendants in the United States. Its stated scope is broader than an exclusively FBA, lineage-based framework.
Visit organizationBroader coalition
NAARC · Convened by the Institute of the Black World 21st Century
Developed a ten-point reparations program spanning multiple forms of repair. Read its proposals alongside the FBA distinction between direct restitution and broader social programs.
Visit organization