Rep. Ayanna Pressley: ‘If We Can Legislate Hurt and Harm, We Can Legislate Justice’ and That’s Reparations

EXCERPT:

PRESSLEY: “I am asked about H.R. 40 in community in the Massachusetts 7th congressional district by people of every walk of life, every race and ethnicity, every gender — gender identity and expression, because they are simply people of conscience. I’ve always said that policy is my love language, and the reason I say that is because the majority of the harms that have been caused, particularly that have been foisted onto black Americans, were legislated. So if we can legislate hurt and harm, we can legislate justice. We can legislate healing and we are certainly long overdue. And for those that would say we need to just get over it, that’s interesting. When as a nation, you are benefiting right now from an economy that was built on the brutalized backs and the indignities and the horrors of chattel slavery in our African ancestors.”