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The National Black Cultural Information Trust, Inc. Applauds the Signing of New York’s Historic Legislation Creating a New York Reparations Commission 

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Today, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the historic New York Reparations Commission Bill SB 1163A/A07691 into law. The National Black Cultural Information Trust, Inc. applauds this legislation and recognizes it as an essential step toward reparatory justice in New York. New York is the home of the African Burial Ground, where over 15,000 African ancestors were buried, later to be rediscovered after two centuries. New York was a hub of the illegal international slave trade. Additionally, the state of New York was an enactor of Jim Crow laws, impacting people of African descent across the state. 

African Americans in New York have experienced centuries of systemic racism, including the “Stop and Frisk,” policy that harmed the lives of hundreds of thousands. With this new commission, we look forward to New York researching, evaluating, understanding, and uplifting the need for reparatory justice for people of African descent across the state who have been harmed by the vestiges of chattel slavery, Jim Crow, and modern-day systemic racism. The need for Comprehensive Reparations, repairing Black communities with forward-thinking initiatives that safeguard the future of Black America, are long overdue.

“Our forefathers and foremothers have long held onto the belief that crimes against humanity perpetrated against people of African descent must be remedied. This commission is among the first important steps in that process for the state of New York. This is centuries of work at hand. Legislators like Assemblywoman Michaelle C. Solages and Sen. James Sanders have continued the work and moved it forward. Additionally, national and community-based organizations, including the Brooklyn Branch of the NAACP, the Get Free Movement, the December 12th Movement, N’COBRA, NAARC, NBCI Trust, and many others, have made sure that this legislation came to fruition. I look forward to the next steps in this critical process,” said Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor, Executive Director of the National Black Cultural Information Trust, Inc.

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The National Black Cultural Information Trust, Inc. shares cultural resources, tools, and information that uplift the collective freedom of Black communities. Contact info@nbcit.org for additional information.