by William A. Darity, Jr. and A. Kirsten Mullen

Racism and discrimination have choked economic opportunity for African Americans at nearly every turn. William Darity, an economist at Duke University and an Amherst native, and folklorist Kirsten Mullen together make a powerful case for making economic reparations to African Americans for the injustices of slavery, segregation, and "ongoing discrimination and stigmatization." Slavery, the authors explain, created vast national wealth, both in the South and the North, where for example there was an increased demand for shipbuilding and other products. Meanwhile, African Americans have since the end of slavery experienced job discrimination, attenuated wealth, confinement to unsafe and undesirable neighborhoods, inferior schooling, dangerous encounters with the police and criminal justice system, and a social disdain for the value of their lives. The authors offer a detailed proposal for making reparations. Kirkus Reviews says “The authors are convincing in their arguments. Essential to any debate over the need for and way to achieve meaningful large-scale reparations.”