Last week, I filled in for Dana DuBois, joining Lawrence Winnerman as a guest host on the Daily Whatever Show. What started as a chat about hurricanes and climate denial turned into a deeper conversation about America’s unfinished business—reparations.

We talked about how slavery wasn’t just a moral atrocity—it was the country’s original business model. In 1860, enslaved people were collectively valued at roughly $3 billion, more than the nation’s entire industrial output at the time. In today’s terms, that’s over $100 trillion in stolen labor and human capital.

I shared a piece of my own family history—tracing roots from North Carolina through the Cherokee Nation to Arkansas—and a land grant document that promised “40 acres.” That promise was never fulfilled. Had it been, those acres could’ve translated into generational wealth worth millions today.

We also dug into how those broken promises echo through our modern economy, from tipping culture and “right-to-work” laws to policing and the racial wealth gap. When people ask, “How would we even do reparations?” I tell them: We already know how. Federal trusts. Land and housing grants. Education funds. Baby bonds.All doable.

Lawrence and I closed with a conversation about truth and reconciliation. If we can’t tell the truth about our history, we’ll never reconcile with our present. Reparations aren’t just about money—they’re about honesty, dignity, and national healing.

Want to see these conversations in real time?I’m building The Journeyman Unfiltered on YouTube — where I go deeper and unpack what’s really going on.

🎥 Subscribe here

🎧 Episode Highlights

* Slavery as America’s original business plan—and Wall Street’s foundation

* My family’s “40 acres” story and what generational wealth could have been

* The lingering impact of tipping, labor, and policing systems rooted in slavery

* Real-world examples: Evanston, California’s task force, and Bruce’s Beach

* Why the moral case for reparations precedes the logistical one

* What truth and reconciliation should really look like in America

If this conversation resonates, please share it—and consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps me keep digging into the kind of history, policy, and economics that mainstream media won’t touch.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thejourneyman.substack.com/subscribe