Melissa Harris-Lacewell, Philadelphia Inquirer
- On Tuesday, I spent the afternoon listening to Adrienne Davis of Washington University Law School engage in a smart and wide-ranging discussion of reparations. Professor Davis made a case for why truth-and-reconciliation commissions are sometimes insufficient for ensuring justice.
There are times, Davis argued, when the state must make financial reparations for wrongs committed by the state. Although she does not favor direct cash payments to individuals, she indicated that she believes there are other ways the government can support anti-racist activities.
It was an interesting seminar. Not all agreed with Davis, but all engaged the idea of reparations seriously and soberly. Then I got home and turned on the evening news. That was when I heard Rush Limbaugh invoking the term reparations in a way that was much less serious and sober.
