UN Says 1965 Convention Obliges States to Consider Slavery Reparations as US Lawsuit Targets $25,000 Program
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 1
UN Says 1965 Convention Obliges States to Consider Slavery Reparations as US Lawsuit Targets $25,000 Program
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 1
Summary
A U.N. anti-racism committee said states party to the 1965 racial discrimination convention are legally bound to consider reparations and broader restorative justice for slavery and its legacy.
The guidance ties that obligation to present-day duties to address structural inequality, calling for compensation, restitution, rehabilitation and structural reforms rather than cash payments alone.
In the U.S., the push collides with a Justice Department-backed challenge to Evanston, Illinois' reparations program, which gives eligible Black residents and descendants housing benefits of up to $25,000.
Judicial Watch, which sued in May 2024 on behalf of six non-Black plaintiffs, argues race-based reparations violate the Fourteenth Amendment and Fair Housing Act, setting up a test of how far such programs can go.
The clash comes after the U.N. General Assembly this year labeled the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity, even as local U.S. reparations efforts face mounting legal and budget pressures.