Boston Reparations Task Force Considers Withholding Report Amid Research Questions
The potential delay stems from concerns over accuracy in related studies, impacting the release of findings on post-1940 discrimination.
Boston officials are contemplating whether to withhold a forthcoming report that details the discrimination faced by Black individuals in the city since 1940. The report, prepared by researchers at Northeastern University, was intended to supplement a separate study from Tufts University examining slavery and its enduring legacy in Boston from the 17th to 20th centuries.
The release of the Tufts report was halted following scrutiny over the accuracy of a 2022 book, "The Grimkes," by researcher Kerri Greenidge. In July, The New York Times published an article detailing concerns raised by other scholars regarding alleged factual errors in Greenidge's work.
Now, the reparations task force is considering delaying the release of the Northeastern report until a new study can be conducted to replace the Tufts research, The Boston Globe reported. There have been no suggestions of inaccuracies within the Northeastern report itself. "Why put the cart before the horse? Why release part two when you haven’t seen one yet," Antonia Edwards, a task force member, was quoted as saying. "Originally we were going to combine the reports... so why don’t we just give a complete package to the community?"
It remains unclear when a new report might be produced. The original two reports were projected for completion and public release by 2023. The task force has faced increasing criticism over the delays, particularly given that $500,000 was allocated for the research.
"Certainly it was our hope that we would have something to present for discussion [by now]," stated chairman Joseph D. Feaster on Thursday. "But unfortunately something happened that is beyond our control. Hopefully we will be able to get back on track."
The task force has not yet officially voted on withholding the report, but a majority of members have indicated support for the move, according to The Globe. It is uncertain whether the task force members have the authority to enact such a delay or if the mayor's office will make the final decision.
The Daily Mail has contacted the mayor's office, the task force, Tufts University, Kerri Greenidge, and Northeastern University for comment.
In 2024, the Boston People's Reparations Commission advocated for $15 billion in reparations for African Americans whose ancestors were impacted by slavery. The commission stated that the funds should be invested "monetarily and through public policy that will be in effect for black Bostonians for generations."
Reverend Kevin Peterson, the head of the commission, told WCVB in 2024 that the requested $15 billion was "not enough" because "every life is incalculable." The commission also discussed a potential $50 million payout with Boston's white churches.
According to the commission, the enslavement of Africans in Boston began in 1638, initiating a "legacy of social, political, economic and cultural injustice." Their website indicates that at one point, one in ten Boston residents were enslaved individuals linked to the transatlantic slave trade.
Some members of Boston's Black community are seeking reparations to address the ongoing effects of historical prejudice and disadvantage, aiming to "effectively address the harm inflicted through the enslavement of Blacks in Boston and generations of systemic oppression."