“The question of reparations isn’t a debate to be won. It’s a wound to be healed.”
Those are the words of my guests Dr. Eric Silver and Dr. John Iceland in their recent essay for Quillette titled “Preparations, Not Reparations”
In it, they argue that reparations would be better enacted in the form of high-quality early education, as opposed to the government cutting a check. Both Dr. Silver and Dr. Iceland feel that monetary compensation distributed on the basis of identity does not promote that same autonomy and self-reliance that access to quality education will. Furthermore, they make a compelling case that the logistics of reparations alone make it unfeasible and unfair.
You can purchase their new book “Why We Disagree about Inequality: Social Justice vs. Social Order” which they co-authored with their colleague Dr. Redstone, here.
** NOTE
Towards the end of this episode I discuss the research on Primal Word Beliefs. This is a research subject being explored by Dr. Jer Clifton and his team at Pennsylvania State University. You can look further into this research here.
The way that this research fits into the conversation is of my own interpretation and opinion, and not one that I have seen expressed explicitly by the founding researchers, nor do I in any way represent said researchers. I highly recommend all listeners explore this research as it is incredibly important both at an individual and societal level.
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Reparations, Fairness and Equality: A Conversation with Dr. Eric Silver and Dr. John Iceland