How Do You Put A Price On America's Original Sin?

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A task force set up by the California state legislature is studying how the legacy of slavery has harmed the state's Black residents. This summer it will submit recommendations for how the state legislature should compensate African-Americans for that harm.

The task force has to answer thorny questions like who should qualify for reparations, how to measure the suffering that Black people have endured and how to attach a dollar figure to that suffering.

The chair of the task force, Kamilah Moore, says she hopes the panel's work will make a real difference in the lives of millions of Black Californians and serve as a model for a national program.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports on one big obstacle to a federal reparations package: public opinion is firmly against it. That's especially true among white Americans.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Claudette Lindsay-Haberman. It was edited by Marcia Davis and William Troop. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.