The United States was built on systems of racial exploitation (slavery, segregation, redlining, mass incarceration, and discriminatory federal policy) that continue to shape economic and social inequality today. Justice requires more than acknowledgment; it requires repair.

I support a comprehensive federal reparations program that confronts the full legacy of anti-Black racism and delivers material investment to communities that have been systematically harmed. This includes studying and implementing reparations through direct payments, housing and land access, debt relief, healthcare access, and long-term community investment. Reparations are not charity - they are a moral and legal obligation.

In Illinois’ 13th District, social justice means addressing the racial wealth gap, investing in historically disinvested neighborhoods, expanding access to affordable housing and homeownership, strengthening public schools, and ensuring clean air, clean water, and reliable infrastructure for every community. It also means reforming the criminal legal system, ending discriminatory policing practices, and reinvesting public resources into prevention, education, and opportunity.

Nationally, I will support policies that dismantle systemic racism across housing, healthcare, education, labor, and environmental policy. That includes fully funding civil rights enforcement, protecting voting rights, ending discriminatory lending and zoning practices, and ensuring that federal spending prioritizes communities most harmed by past and present injustice.

Reparations and social justice are about building a future rooted in dignity, accountability, and shared prosperity. When we repair the harm done, we strengthen our democracy and create an economy that works for everyone, rather than just the powerful few.