Presenting Uncounted Millions: The Power of Reparations
Into America- 403 views
- 8 Feb 2024
Into America is back! In a new series, “Uncounted Millions,” we take a look at one of today's most pressing debates: reparations. On a journey that begins in the nation’s capital during the heat of the Civil War and ends in modern day Brooklyn, host Trymaine Lee follows the little-known story of one of the only Black people to receive reparations, and the mark it left on that family for generations to come. The series asks: if more Black families had been given reparations decades ago, how might Black America look different today? And with this series, we’re kicking off a brand new format for Into America. Going forward, we’ll be a seasonal show, giving us a chance to dive deep into the topics most salient for Black America.Here’s a sneak peek of “Uncounted Millions.” Make sure you’re following the show to stay up to date. The series debuts Thursday, February 15th.
America owes Black people a lot for what we have endured. For generations, Black Americans have pushed for reparations. It's been discussed in corporate C-suites and posited by some of our greatest minds. The matter of reparations is one of making amends to say that a nation is both its credits its debits. Now, in 2024, perhaps we're seeing a woodershed moment. Sign the bill. Cities and states are taking action. Racism and slavery in Boston getting historic reconsideration with the new Reparations Task Force. All mulling this question of what, if anything, is owed to Black Americans. Reparations should be welcomed by all Americans. I'm Trimayne Lee, Host of Into America. I've been a journalist for more than 20 years, covering stories about Black America and the ways in which Black people are often left out of or mischaracterized by the mainstream narratives. But regardless of the issues I'm covering, just about every racial injustice story can be traced back to the sins of slavery. And there's this idea that I just can't shake, that maybe things could have been different. What if, after the Civil War, the United States had actually taken the bold step to right its enormous wrongs?
Today's massive racial wealth gap, inequities in education and health care, and even in the quality of the air we breathe, could have all been unimaginable. If only Black people would have gotten their due. But what if I told you that through ingenuity, fortitude, and determination, one man did? It would have been a game changer. Join me, Trimayne Lee, as I explore the untold story of Gabriel Coakley, one of the only Black Americans to ever get reparations. A Black entrepreneur in the 1860s that had several thousand dollars. The sky's the limit. And talk to his descendants about how reparations forever changed their family's trajectory. If he hadn't done what he did 150 years ago, we might not be here right now. It's almost scary in a way. To know that things from 200, 200 years ago could have such a direct influence. This is Into America presents Uncounted Millions: The Power of Reparations, a Black History Month series. The series drops Thursday, February 15th. Follow the show wherever you're listening right now. On the MSNBC podcast, How to Win 2024, political experts, former Senator Claire McCastell and Democratic strategist Jennifer Paul-Merry examine the campaign strategies unfolding in this all-important election.
The focus is on the voters that are not necessarily in your corner now. If Democrats are going to win in 2024, we have to be able to explain what is happening at the border and what the solutions are. Search for How to Win 2024 wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Thursday.