New York Reparations Deadline Extended, Activists Skeptical of Compensation

Activists with the U.S. Freedmen Project, a grassroots organization focused on reparations, anticipate no financial compensation from New York state officials. This sentiment comes as state lawmakers quietly extended the deadline for the New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies to issue its final report, pushing it back by two years from 2027 to 2029.

Devine Prince, president of the U.S. Freedmen Project, told Fox News Digital that the group believes the extended timeline is a tactic to wear down advocates for reparations. "What the mainstream reparations movement is really about ... is spinning your wheels until [those] to whom the debt is owed tire out, give up, and give in," Prince stated.

The U.S. Freedmen Project identifies as "Foundational Black Americans" and aims to distinguish between descendants of U.S. enslaved people and more recent immigrants from Africa or the Caribbean. Prince argued that race-based policies within the U.S. system, which has the 14th Amendment prohibiting such policies, are inherently flawed.

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) criticized the delay, with Chantelle Williams, assistant director of the NYCLU’s Racial Justice Center, stating that the extended timeline raises questions about when reparations will be realized and that the delay is a "disservice to those who have suffered the profound and lasting consequences of inequality."

The nine-member commission, established in late 2023 by Gov. Kathy Hochul, was tasked with examining New York's historical ties to slavery and subsequent discrimination, and delivering recommendations for financial compensation and policy reforms. The commission recently concluded a series of public hearings.

Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solages, D-N.Y., a sponsor of the original legislation, cited a shifting national legal environment and conservative challenges to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as reasons for the delay. The budget measure also included a provision to shield commissioners from personal legal liability.

Activists with the U.S. Freedmen Project, who attended a May 30 hearing in Harlem, voiced strong opposition to both the delay and the commission's framework. They advocate for reparations to be exclusively for direct descendants of individuals enslaved in the U.S., arguing that including broader categories of Black individuals would violate the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause.

Prince expressed skepticism about the commission's appointments, suggesting they were made to maintain the status quo. "These are individuals that have been put in place to keep the status quo intact while pretending they're working to undo it," he said. He emphasized that his group focuses on "true repair — and, unfortunately, true repair means repairing those who were truly harmed."

New York is among several states and municipalities exploring reparations. Evanston, Illinois, became the first U.S. city to distribute reparations, offering housing grants to eligible Black residents.

Despite the ongoing process, Prince stated his expectation of receiving "nothing," based on his group's recommendations being ignored. New York officials did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.