Since it was first formed in June, some of the panel’s nine members have argued that only direct descendants of actual slaves prior to the Civil War should receive handouts, while others call for a more liberal distribution of funds to every black American. The warring factions led to the panel delaying its originally-planned vote last month.
Despite having existed for two years, the panel has no concrete plan yet for what their reparations would look like. Supporters say that compensation would account for various historical instances of discrimination such as slavery, segregation, and alleged racism in incarceration rates. Some of the proposals for compensation include free college, grants to churches and community organizations, and financial handouts in buying homes and starting up businesses.