Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of a Nation

by Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter

A timely groundbreaking book in the vein of Derrick Bell’s Faces at the Bottom of the Well, one of the country’s foremost voices on reparations, offers a radical and vital new framework going beyond the current debate over this controversial issue.

For over a century, the idea of reparations for the descendants of enslaved Black Americans has divided the United States. However, while the iconic phrase “40 acres and a mule” encapsulates the general notion of reparations, history has proven that the damages of enslavement on the African American community far exceed what a plot of land or a check could repair.

While reparations are being widely debated once again, current petitions to redress the lasting and collateral consequences of slavery have not moved past economic solutions, even though we know that monetary redress alone is not enough. Not only would many wounds be left unhealed, but relying solely on economics would continue a legacy of neglect for African Americans. In this thoughtful and sure-to-be controversial book, Marcus Anthony Hunter argues that a radical shift in our outlook is necessary; we need more comprehensive solutions such as those currently sought by today’s educators, historians, activists, organizers, Afrofuturists, and socially conscious citizens.

In Radical Reparations, this conversation shifter, social justice pioneer, change agent, and inventor of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, which redefined the global conversation on racism and social justice, offers a unifying and unconventional framework for achieving holistic and comprehensive healing of African American communities. Hunter reimagines reparations through a profound new lens as he defines seven types of compensation: political, intellectual, legal, economic, spatial, social, and spiritual, using analysis of historical documents, comparative international cases, and speculative parables.

Profound and revolutionary, trenchant and timely, Radical Reparations provides a compellingly and provocatively reframing of reparations’ past, present, and future, offering a unifying way forward for us all.

Hardcover | 336 Pages  | Amistad | 2024

At the helm of social change and academic excellence sits Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter, the esteemed Scott Waugh Endowed Chair in the Social Sciences Division and a distinguished Professor of Sociology & African American Studies at UCLA. As the visionary coiner of the transformative hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, Dr. Hunter’s influence transcends academia, igniting global conversations on racial equity. With scholarship endorsed by prestigious bodies such as the National Science Foundation and the Social Science Research Council, Dr. Hunter’s research illuminates systemic inequities and forges pathways toward equity for all. His expertise was instrumental in the conception of Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s groundbreaking Bill, marking a historic stride in America’s journey towards a Truth, Racial Healing, & Transformation Commission. A respected voice in scholarly circles and mainstream media, Dr. Hunter’s insights resonate on C-SPAN’s BookTV, MSNBC, NPR, and BBC. At the same time, his commentary punctuates the pages of the Sacramento Bee, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. Dr. Hunter is not just a scholar; he’s a catalyst for change whose academic rigor and social activism redefine the narrative of African American progress.