During the Easter Season, Catholics Across the Country Call for Reparations

During the holiest week of the year for Christians, churchgoers across the country are hearing the language associated with Jesus' suffering and death: atonement. This message mirrors one that we are now hearing from Congress around reparations for Black Americans because of the United States' egregious human rights violations against them, from slavery to lynchings to Jim Crow Laws.

There is enough momentum in the House of Representatives to pass H.R. 40, which would establish a commission to study and develop reparations proposals. During Easter—and after this holiday ends—Catholics will continue to push our members of Congress to live up to their commitment to dismantling systemic racism and advancing racial equity by establishing this commission. But considering the reality of Senate dynamics we are also calling on President Joe Biden to establish this reparations commission by executive order.

The legacy of slavery and the sanctioned discrimination that has followed continues to deeply harm Black communities. It is past time we make investments that put an end to economic and employment inequality, an unjust health care system, housing segregation and state-sanctioned police violence. The sinful legacy of white supremacy and the enduring racial wealth gap must no longer be allowed to deny Black people good health, educational and economic outcomes. Reparations is the place we must start.