New York far-left group claims reparations owed as Blacks' median wealth nearly 15 times less than Whites

A prominent civil rights organization is pushing for statewide reparations, arguing that a historical debt is owed to Black New Yorkers due to deep wealth disparities rooted in the state's ties to slavery and decades of systemic discrimination.

Lanessa Owens-Chaplin, Director of the Racial Justice Center at the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU).:

"New York State was not a bystander to slavery — it created, enacted, and protected the institution. Reparations must be extended to all Black New Yorkers descended from those enslaved by New York State, and to all Black New Yorkers still living under the systems slavery built."