Here’s why. Many moons ago in U.S history — Black service members were often denied rights to their own payments and survivors benefits for reasons that we don’t have to remind you why. Now a group of Democratic lawmakers in Washington are aiming to correct a century worth of wrongs and send payments to their survivors and living family members.
First introduced (again) by Senator Warnock from Georgia the bill aims to properly compensate Black families who previously had ancestors who served actively in the war. The bill is the first of its kind that would actually do such.
During that era, racist policies at the Department of Veterans Affairs (and related agencies) often left behind Black families when it came to doling out benefits; educational benefits, survivors benefits and the usual things a military family would receive.
Rep Clyburn of South Carolina has also introduced his own version as of last week.
“This is an opportunity for America to repair an egregious fault,” said Clyburn. “Hopefully it can also begin to lay a foundation that will help break the cycle of poverty among those people who are the descendants of those who made sacrifices to preserve this democracy.”
Franklin Roosevelt in 1944 signed a bill Servicemen’s Readjustment Act into law that year. The bill had intentions of ensuring generous subsidies were provided to those that served more than 90 days in the war. The problem with that is upon returning from the war at the time — many Black people (and POC) found that the reality they lived in compared to their counterparts weren’t at all the same.
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