Thread by @emarvelous

Now I'm keeping an eye on the House subcommittee hearing on HR40, the proposed legislation that would create a commission to study reparations for Black Americans. You can watch along with me here:

The bill was first proposed decades ago, but the issue gained momentum during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary. Then, the crowded field was split on what and whether Black Americans living today and impacted by the legacy of slavery are owed from the federal government.

A hearing was held in the summer of 2019 as the country marked the 400th anniversary of enslaved people being forcibly brought to America. Then Maj Ldr McConnell said he didn't support the bill; Min Ldr Chuck Schumer said he did. Their roles in the Senate have since reversed.

And yes, I've already asked about where President Biden and VP Harris stand on HR40 and how this fits into their emphasis on racial equity. Stay tuned!

Now testifying: @JacksonLeeTX18 who is appearing virtually from Texas despite the energy and weather challenges in the state. Tells committee: "Hidden in the corners of this nation are the descendants of enslaved
Africans who have felt the sting of disparities."

Rep. Jackson Lee says pandemic has highlighted need to address inequities and that HR40 us about "placing the nation on the path to reparative justice." Citing Harvard report, says reparations could have mitigated disparate impact of COVID on Black Americans.

Showing her congressional colleagues images of slavery, riots, and lynchings of Black Americans, Rep. Jackson Lee says: "What we speak of today is based on the continuing impact of the brutality of slavery."

Now testifying: California Sec of State Shirley Weber, discussing the state's pioneering legislation to study reparations, signed into law by Gov. Newsom in November.

Weber: "We need not ask whether or not slavery has had an impact, but to illuminate the extent to which it has had an impact."

Now testifying: Tendayi Achiume, speaking in support of the bill. Says her remarks are based largely on her 2019 UN presentation on the issue: ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/…

Now listening to testimony of former football player Herschel Walker, who makes argument against reparations, asking where the money would come from and who would be eligible. Says Black Americans are "asking for a hand up, not a hand out."