We Should Address Real Problems in America, Not Dwell on Reparations

Ying Ma interviewed civil rights icon Robert Woodson at a virtual forum on reparations last Wednesday. “Our time and attention should not be on reparations–the assumption that money is the solution–but we should be investing in people that are engaged in self-help and self-restoration,” said Woodson, founder of the Woodson Center.

America’s social maladies today are moral and spiritual in nature, Woodson told Ma. “We have to address the real problems,” he continued. “We can’t do that if we have to be sitting here talking about reparations.”

Woodson’s social activism dates back to the 1960s, when he fought for civil rights in the era of Dr. Martin Luther King. In his remarks, Woodson expounds on how Dr. King might view today’s reparations movement and its accompanying social justice demands.

The conversation between Woodson and Ma took place during “The Rise of Reparations,” a virtual forum co-hosted by Defend American Ideals, the Pacific Legal Foundation, and the Pacific Research Institute.

WATCH INTERVIEW:

The speakers of the reparations forum were:

Keynote Speaker: Robert Woodson, Founder, Woodson Center

Moderators and Speakers:

Betty Chu, Vice Chair, Defend American Ideals; Former Mayor, Monterey Park, CA
Ying Ma, President, Defend American Ideals; President, American Ideals PAC
Andrew Quinio, Attorney, Pacific Legal Foundation
Joshua Thompson, Director of Equality and Opportunity Litigation, Pacific Legal Foundation

WATCH “RISE OF REPARATIONS” VIRTUAL FORUM: