Chaos erupts at NY reparations hearing as ‘Foundational’ Black Americans clash with left-leaning groups

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — A public hearing on reparations for Black Americans descended from enslaved people devolved into heated exchanges here last month, as community members clashed over who deserves to benefit from potential compensation for centuries of discrimination.

The New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies convened at Hempstead High School to gather public input on how to address the lasting harms of slavery and subsequent discriminatory policies. The nine-member commission was established by state law in December 2023.

At the center of the controversy is a fundamental question: should reparations be limited to those who can prove direct lineage to enslaved people in the United States, or should the program cast a wider net to include all Black New Yorkers, including recent immigrants?

Aubrey Muhammad, who testified before the commission, argued passionately for a lineage-based approach.

"As Foundational Black Americans who've been here since the founding of the country, coming in as slaves, we have a claim to this country," Muhammad told Fox News Digital. "We have our own culture, and we deserve to be compensated for what our ancestors have been put through."

Muhammad alleged that Democratic politicians have deliberately encouraged immigration to alter the demographic composition of traditionally Black communities, including in Hempstead.

"The Democrats, in a sick way, imported 25 million immigrants," Muhammad claimed. "Hempstead, since the '90s, has been flooded with immigrants. That's taking the resources, putting them towards others."

Census data paints a picture of dramatic change in the Village of Hempstead. The community of roughly 59,000 residents is now nearly evenly split, with approximately 45.7% identifying as Black or African American and 44.8% as Hispanic or Latino. In 1990, the Hispanic population stood at just 14%.

The United States Freedmen Project, an organization representing self-identified Foundational Black Americans, occupied several seats at the hearing. The group maintains clear legal and historical distinctions between descendants of enslaved people and those who immigrated voluntarily in recent decades.

Supporters of the Freedmen Project warned the commission that any reparations program based broadly on race would face insurmountable legal obstacles.

"If those are based on race, they're going to be shot down like affirmative action," said Divine Prince, a spokesperson for the organization, referencing recent federal court rulings that struck down race-conscious policies. "They're going to be challenged under the Equal Protection Clause."

Dr. Ron Daniels, a commission member, acknowledged the legal complexities but expressed determination to find a workable solution.

"The idea that we feel that we should somehow craft something that will not in some way look like it's racial is somewhat problematic," Daniels said. "We do have a legal team, and there is a body of lawyers dealing with an injury- and harm-based proposition in terms of how to present reparations."

Tensions flared over the presence of the New York Civil Liberties Union. Members of the Freedmen Project argued that the organization does not adequately represent the specific interests of ancestral Black Americans.

Susan Gottehrer, director of the Nassau County Chapter of the NYCLU, defended a broader approach to addressing systemic inequities.

"These government policies have affected Black New Yorkers regardless of lineage," Gottehrer said. "Excluding a subset of Black Americans would leave a significant portion of documented racial injustice completely unexamined."

Muhammad called Gottehrer's position "disrespectful," arguing it conflates the distinct historical experiences of different Black populations.

"The ACLU just wants funding so they get some of our reparations money to pay for these other causes," Muhammad alleged.

Brooke Lean, attending the hearing in a Freedmen Project shirt, agreed that not all Black residents share an equal claim to reparations.

"They want to erase our story, dilute our story by adding in a bunch of people who just got here, whose ancestors did not build this country," Lean said.

Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solages, the Democratic sponsor of the legislation that created the commission, outlined a broader vision.

"When we draft the legislation for the commission, we want to ensure that we're having a thorough conversation about slavery and its harms, whether it's mass incarceration, health disparities, the lack of educational opportunity for folks, or the wealth gap," Solages said.

The debate grew so contentious that at least one audience member stormed out of the auditorium, shouting at Freedmen Project supporters as he left.

"Sit down with the clowns if you want to!" the man, who declined to give his name, yelled. "Stand up for freedom."

Caprice Reins, a local resident who observed the proceedings, offered a simpler perspective.

"I think that we are owed a debt," Reins said.

The commission is expected to release its recommendations in the coming months, though any final legislation would require approval from the state legislature and governor. The legal and political hurdles ahead remain formidable.