On Thursday Juneteenth, the day commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. became a federal holiday. The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was signed into law by President Biden in the company of activists like 94 year old Opal Lee, as the country continues to address structural racism and inequality. 

A bill called H.R. 40 from 1989 resurfaced in April 2021, clearing committee for the first time.  

The bill would create a commission to research slavery and pave the way for potential reparations proposals for restitution to the descendants of enslaved people.  

According to a 2019 Gallup poll, 29% of Americans supported reparations in some form. 

In March, the city of Evanston in the state of Illinois approved the first municipal reparations program in the country, supplying housing grants of $25,000 for Black residents harmed by the redlining practices. Redlining is a discriminatory practice that restricted financial services to people in certain areas based on race or ethnicity.

The city of Asheville, North Carolina in July of 2020 formally apologized for its role in the sanctioning of slavery and established a “community reparations” program which will provide funding to promote homeownership and business opportunities.

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