Ilhan Omar: ‘It’s Past Time’ Reparations are Paid Out

Appearing Wednesday on BET Digital’s #BlackCoffeeLive, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) proclaimed “it’s past time” reparations are paid to descendants of African slaves in the United States.

A partial transcript is as follows: 

MARC LAMONT HILL: When way people want to see equal footing is through the broader project of reparations. You know H.R. 40 is a big part of the public conversation in the last couple of weeks. Where do you stand on reparations?

REP. ILHAN OMAR: Yeah, I’m signed on to H.R. 40.

HILL: But that’s for the commission. Obviously, you want to look at the data and study. At the ideological level, do you support reparations?

REP. OMAR: Yeah, it’s past time. It’s past time. I’m an African immigrant and my situation is very much different in the way that my family interactions with the system. I want to make sure my colleagues, who come from enslaved ancestry, are deciding how that policy is implemented and what makes sense. I’m in full support in trying to make sure that we are taking full steps into getting for the black community.