America has never faced up to the atrocities its massive wealth was built on — or the racism that still plagues us today. It’s high time for reparations to Black Americans. In each episode, Harvard lawyers (and longtime friends) Tony and Adam expose a story of racial injustice — then explore creative ways to make it right. The show features special guests who are on the front lines fighting for justice. We're making the case for full national reparations, one story at a time.
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#20 - Slavery in the U.S. Today: Is This 2025 or 1825?
40:49
40:49
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40:49News flash: Slavery didn’t end after the Civil War. Thanks to the massive loophole of the 13th Amendment, it’s still going strong - in the form of forced prison labor all across America. We take you to Louisiana, the world’s incarceration leader. Local historian Eric Seiferth tells about Louisiana’s barbaric prison labor system, where inmates are f…
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#19 - The Bucks Start Here: William Darity Jr. and Kirsten Mullen
1:12:06
1:12:06
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1:12:06Money isn’t the only part of reparations - but it sure is a big one! We sit down with William Darity and Kirsten Mullen, the nation's leading reparations experts. They answer key questions: How big is the tab? Who gets paid? What good is money unless we first change our racist society? They also break down why they're hopeful that reparations will …
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#18 - The Negro Leagues: It’s Past Time for America’s Pastime to Make Reparations
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50:09
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50:09Some of the greatest players ever were kept out of Major League Baseball for nearly 70 years - due to the collusion of the racist team owners. We visit with Bill Greason, 100, the oldest surviving Negro Leagues player, and baseball historian Larry Lester, to make the case for long-overdue reparations by MLB. We crunch some numbers and calculate the…
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#17 - The “Black Tax”: A Grand Theft of Historic Proportions
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50:19
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50:19A dirty secret in U.S. history is how local property taxes have been used to steal massive amounts of land and money from Black people, for the last 160 years. The Black Tax, a new book by historian Andrew Kahrl, exposes these scams that helped create the colossal racial wealth gap of today. The damage to Black Americans? More than $600 billion in …
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#16 - Special Update: The Reparations Movement, Our Growing Project, and Things We All Can Do
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33:15
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33:15This is an exciting time in the fight for Black reparations! As momentum builds across the country, Pay The Tab is expanding in new directions - including the first-ever reparations course at UCLA Law School. In this special episode, Tony and Adam bring the latest news, answer your questions, and share things we all can do to disrupt America's toxi…
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#15 - Henrietta Wood: An American Hero You Never Heard Of
46:19
46:19
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46:19The largest-ever court award for slavery reparations came from an unlikely plaintiff. Henrietta Wood was an enslaved woman who gained her freedom in the 1840s - only to be kidnapped and sold back into slavery for 15 more horrific years. Her heroic fight for payback is inspiration for today’s reparations battle. Join us with historian Caleb McDaniel…
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#14 - Live With Rep. Justin J. Pearson: Speaking Truth To Power
1:32:46
1:32:46
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1:32:46Rep. Justin J. Pearson blows away our live audience with his bold case for reparations - and for making change through multiracial solidarity. He speaks on the racist connections of gun violence and environmental pollution; and what we need to do to fix things. Also on video! SHOW NOTES Guest: Rep. Justin J. Pearson Rep. Pearson is one of the most …
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#13 - Rest As Reparations: Closing The Racial Sleep Gap
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52:20
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52:20Did you know Black Americans get about one hour less sleep each night than white people? Less sleep means serious health problems - and shorter life spans. We dive into this shocking “racial sleep gap” with a leading authority on the subject, Dr. Dayna Johnson. She breaks down where it comes from (spoiler alert: it’s all about racism) - and what we…
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#12 - Japanese American Reparations: Lessons For Black America
1:13:03
1:13:03
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1:13:03In the largest single act of mass incarceration in U.S. history, our government forced over 125,000 Japanese Americans into prison camps for three years during World War II. On this special live episode, two leading activists join us to expose the true story of this racist atrocity, the fight for reparations that followed, and the importance of rac…
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#11 - Mass Incarceration and Reparations: It’s Time For A New Way
1:22:51
1:22:51
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1:22:51Mass incarceration is a cancer that’s devouring Black communities. Writer and filmmaker Asia Johnson joins us and shares her experiences as a formerly incarcerated woman - and her visions for a new system of justice. Recorded with a live audience. Also on video! SHOW NOTES Guest: Asia Johnson Asia Johnson is a writer, filmmaker, and activist for th…
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#10 - The Racial Wealth Gap: It's Our Turn Now
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38:07
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38:07Why has it always been damn near impossible for Black Americans to make ends meet - let alone build wealth? Join us with Mehrsa Baradaran, law professor and a leading expert on the racial wealth gap. She speaks the truth and helps us bust the myths we’ve all been fed about race, money, and the American Dream. Mehrsa also has an innovative plan to b…
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#9 - Giving It All Back: White People's Worst Nightmare
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49:08
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49:08Morgan Curtis discovered that her family’s wealth (and her large inheritance) were made from centuries of exploitation and suffering, including slavery. What she did in response is an amazing story of personal reparations - and reminds us of the power of facing hard truths and living our lives with purpose. SHOW NOTES Guest: Morgan Curtis Morgan Cu…
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#8 - Robin Kelley Live: Reparations and Imagining the Black Future
59:57
59:57
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59:57Show notes: The incredible Robin D. G. Kelley schools us on what true reparations could look like - and how to use our collective power to envision a better future. Recorded in Los Angeles with a live audience. See the video HERE! Guest: Robin D. G. Kelley Robin Kelley is a leading historian, author, and thinker of our time - or any time. His groun…
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#7 - Mothers of Gynecology: Art As Reparations
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48:13
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48:13Dr. J. Marion Sims is hailed as the Father of Modern Gynecology. But his reputation was built through inhumane experiments on enslaved young women. We talk with “creative extremist” Michelle Browder, who exposes the truth about Sims, the racism of the medical profession, and using art as a form of reparations. SHOW NOTES Guest: Michelle Browder Mic…
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#6 - The Tulsa Race Massacre pt. 2: A Long Road To Justice
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36:51Part 2 of our story on the Tulsa Race Massacre looks at the historic lawsuit for reparations going on right now. We have a riveting conversation with Hughes Van Ellis, 101, one of three living survivors – and a plaintiff in that case. Guests Eric Miller and Kristi Williams return to give us the inside scoop on the case and the government’s literal …
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#5 - The Tulsa Race Massacre pt. 1: An Inside Job
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30:31The Tulsa Race Massacre was one of the most horrific events in U.S. history. Was it just a riot by an angry white mob - or an all-out war on Black Americans by their own government? Join us for the real story on what went down in 1921. Special guest: Kristi Williams, Tulsa activist and descendant of a massacre survivor. SHOW NOTES Guest: Kristi Wil…
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#4 - The California Reparations Plan: It’s On!
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28:22
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28:22Big things are happening on the West Coast! The California Reparations Task Force is deep into its revolutionary work. We talk with chairperson Kamilah Moore, who gives us the inside scoop on how they’re hatching a real plan - one that can set the stage for reparations across the whole country! SHOW NOTES Guest: Kamilah Moore Kamilah is Chairperson…
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#3 - The Chicago Housing Scam: Seriously?
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34:37
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34:37In the city famous for segregation and corruption, we’ll see how many hoops Black people had to jump through, just to get a place to live. This scam would make Al Capone blush: crooked banks, politicians and realtors conspired to rob Black Chicagoans of more than 4 billion dollars! Special guest: Amber Hendley, housing activist and reparations warr…
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#2 - Bruce's Beach: Why Can't A Sister Just Chill?
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36:46What’s so threatening about the sight of Black people relaxing? Tony and Adam tell the story of a thriving Black-owned beach resort near L.A. that was shut down by the government - with a dramatic new reparations twist. We also look at ways the city could get Black people to come back. Special guest: pioneering historian Alison Rose Jefferson. SHOW…
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Why reparations? Why now? Get to know Adam and Tony as we kick off Pay The Tab! Special guest Maureen Simmons helped create California's first-of-its-kind reparations task force, while still a college student. Maureen schools us on reparations - and shares her story of making history. SHOW NOTES Guest: Maureen Simmons A key player in the national r…
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Introducing PAY THE TAB: Reparations Now! Join hosts Tony and Adam as they make the case for reparations, one story at a time.By Tony Tolbert & Adam Radinsky
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