Katherine Franke
makes a powerful case for reparations for Black Americans by
amplifying the stories of formerly enslaved people and calling for
repair of the damage caused by the legacy of American slavery. Repair
invites readers to explore the historical context for reparations,
offering a detailed account of the circumstances that surrounded the
emancipation of enslaved Black people in two unique contexts, the Sea
Islands of South Carolina and Davis Bend, Mississippi, Jefferson
Davis’s former plantation. Through these two critical historical
examples, Franke unpacks intergenerational, systemic racism and white
privilege at the heart of American society and argues that
reparations for slavery are necessary, overdue and possible.
