A Black Lives Matter-affiliated nonprofit issued a call on Thursday for white Americans to contribute to reparations as part of a Juneteenth message titled “Juneteenth is Our Black Jubilee.”
According to a report by the Daily Caller, BLM Grassroots urged white individuals to take personal responsibility for historical injustices by offering financial support to Black communities and organizations. The group also encouraged people to provide services or assistance if they couldn’t give money.
The statement read in part:
“White folks…
It’s time to pay reparations. Commit yourselves to real reparations policies that hold accountable the government, white-supremacist capitalism, and white people – who continue to benefit from our generations of stolen labor. Slide your Black friend some benjamins.
Make a check out to Black liberation organizations, like BLM Grassroots. Don’t have money? Wash your neighbor’s car. Watch her kids. Give him a ride. Sweep their front stoop. Do not ask to come to the cookout.”
The message comes as Juneteenth celebrations have reportedly been scaled back this year due to reduced funding, with many companies and municipalities pulling back support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, according to the Associated Press.
The broader conversation about reparations continues to divide public opinion. A May poll from Pew Research Center found that most American adults believe the increased attention to race-related issues following George Floyd’s death in 2020 has not led to significant improvements for Black Americans.
In a related development, Washington, D.C. officials recently removed the “Black Lives Matter” street mural near the White House, despite earlier claims it would remain a permanent fixture. The mural, located in what was renamed “Black Lives Matter Plaza” in 2020, had become a focal point during protests and political debate.
Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), who supported the removal, described the mural and its messaging as politically divisive in a recent interview with Breitbart News Daily.
