Claim OwnershipPAY THE TAB: Reparations Now
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© 2026 PAY THE TAB: Reparations Now
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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.
26 Episodes
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Harvard University used enslaved labor on its sugar plantations and reaped profits from the slave trade. Richard Cellini, the researcher it hired to identify its enslaved and their descendants, joins us. His team found far more than expected – and it got them fired! Our alma mater sits on a $57 billion endowment. How should it make amends? SHOW NOTES Guest: Richard Cellini Richard Cellini is an attorney and leading scholar of the history of slavery and institutional accountability. He was...
Dr. King died for his commitment to radically transforming our country. With today’s brazen piracy by the billionaires and Black America under permanent siege, King’s goals have never been more timely. Cutting-edge truth-tellers Aaron Good and Bryce Greene join us to hash it out - and see what real reparations could look like. SHOW NOTES Aaron Good and Bryce Green links: Aaron's book American Exception: Empire and the Deep StateAaron's American Exception podcastBryce's Substack newsletter...
One of the most traumatic events for Black America in the last century was the murder of Martin Luther King. But who did it? We spotlight a little-known 1999 court case that blew away the bogus cover story, and exposed a grim reality: the plot to kill MLK was led by our own government. Facing this ugly truth is a key step towards reparations. SHOW NOTES Materials on the 1999 trial and investigation: The 13th Juror: The official transcript of the trial including all witnesses and testimony...
Meet Damario Solomon-Simmons, the leading reparations lawyer in the country. He led the Tulsa Race Massacre court battle that put reparations on the national radar. Damario gives advice and inspiration for creative change-making when the system is stacked against us. You’ll be fired up and ready to go! SHOW NOTES Guest: Damario Solomon-Simmons Damario Solomon-Simmons has been a civil rights attorney for almost 20 years. He leads the Justice for Greenwood Foundation, and co-foun...
What used to be called “science fiction” is now our daily reality. The fringe right is in power, bombarding us with the openly fascist Project 2025. A key tactic is snuffing out all talk about our racist and corrupt system. But this is no time to back down! Truth-telling is more critical than ever. Tony and Adam catch up on the latest - and how we can all fight back. SHOW NOTES Trump Administration Scare Tactics: “Dear Colleague” letter Anti-DEI Executive Order Law professors push back&n...
News 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 forced to toil in the same fields worked by enslaved people over 150 years ago. We’re talking reparations? Let’s start by actually ending slavery in...
Money 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 happen in America - and tell us about the transforming power of cold hard cash. SHOW NOTES Guests: William Darity and Kirsten Mullen William A. ...
Some 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 tab to right this historic wrong. It's time to play ball! SHOW NOTES Guests: Bill Greason and Larry Lester Bill Greason, 100, is one of t...
A 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 straight-up theft – and trillions in lost generational wealth! SHOW NOTES Guest: Andrew W. Kahrl Andrew Kahrl is a Professor at the Univers...
This 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 toxic system of racism, denial, and capitalist greed. Contact Tony & Adam Subscribe
The 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, whose book telling Wood's story, Sweet Taste Of Liberty, won the Pulitzer Prize. SHOW NOTES Guest: W. Caleb McDaniel Dr. McDaniel is a profess...
Rep. 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 exciting new progressive voices in America. He’s state representative for Tennessee's 86th district, which includes the city of Memphis. He mad...
Did 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 need to do to fix it! SHOW NOTES Guest: Dr. Dayna Johnson Dayna Johnson is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Emory University in Atlant...
In 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 racial solidarity in all movements for change. We know Black America can achieve reparations: it’s been done before! SHOW NOTES Guests: Kathy M...
Mass 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 the rights of incarcerated people. She is the Manager of Storytelling for zealo.us, a national advocacy, arts, education, and media institute. He...
Why 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 bridge the gap real fast! SHOW NOTES Guest: Mehrsa Baradaran Mehrsa Baradaran is a professor at UC Irvine Law School and a leading expert o...
Morgan 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 Curtis is a young white woman making personal reparations through giving away all of her inherited wealth to causes supporting Black and Indigenous...
Show 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 groundbreaking book Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination offers inspiring visions for a bold Black future. He breaks down why we nee...
Dr. 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 Michelle is a dynamic artist and activist based in Montgomery, Alabama. Her work exposes our true history, empowers youth, and honors those who have...
Part 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 coverup of possible mass graves. SHOW NOTES Guests: Kristi Williams, Eric Miller, Hughes Van Ellis Hughes Van Ellis, 101, is a survivor of the...
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