Founding Director William A. Darity Jr., Samuel DuBois Cook Professor of Public Policy, African and African American Studies, and Economics at Duke University, and A. Kirsten Mullen, folklorist, writer, and museum consultant, joined Texas Public Radio’s The Source to discuss one of the most pressing and debated questions in U.S. racial and economic policy: What should reparations for Black Americans look like in the 21st century?
The segment explored the moral, historical, and policy frameworks behind reparations for Black American descendants of slavery—centering on their acclaimed book, From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century. Together, Darity and Mullen laid out the case for a federal reparations program grounded in direct compensation and systemic atonement for centuries of government-sanctioned racial injustice.
The interview covered key questions around implementation:
- Who would qualify for reparations?
- How would eligibility be determined?
- What form could reparations take—direct payments, public investments, or structural reforms?
- And most importantly, what is the role of the federal government in acknowledging and addressing its foundational role in slavery and institutionalized racism?
Mullen emphasized the importance of historical clarity, noting that reparations are not just about slavery, but also about the decades of federal and state policies—from redlining to mass incarceration—that have suppressed Black economic mobility.
Their conversation pushes listeners to consider reparations not as a handout or abstract ideal, but as a long-overdue policy tool for racial justice and national healing.
Listen to the Radio Interview here.