Vanzetti Hamilton Bar Association guest speaker explores the topic of reparations at Bias Awareness & Inclusion event

The Vanzetti Hamilton Bar Association (VHBA), hosted an Oct. 15 Bias Awareness & Inclusion event, “Join the Conversation on Reparations,” with guest speaker, Rev. Dr. Joann Watson,  formerly Detroit City Council President Pro Temp, NAACP Executive Director, YCWA of the USA Assistant Executive Director and liaison for the late Congressman John Conyers.  She is presently a member of the National African American Reparations Commission and was a contributing author to “Should America?”, the landmark publication on Reparations, published in 2003. 

Watson has served as chair of the Detroit Chapter of the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA) and is a long-time member of N’COBRA's national board. N’COBRA is the premiere mass-based coalition of organizations and individuals organized for the sole purposes of obtaining reparations for African descendants in the United States.  She is also featured in the 2002 scholarly publication, “Seven Women who are National Leaders on Reparations.” 

Watson talked about H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act introduced by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee on January 3, 2019. The bill, previously introduced by Conyers on January 3, 2017, establishes the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans.

The group had a discussion about reparations for the descendants of African slaves in the United States; what form actual reparations would take place, either in the form of monetary compensation, land or college tuition waivers.  There was also discussion of Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates’ article, “The Case for Reparations” in the July/August 2015 addition of the Atlantic.