VP Harris' radical mentor could be key player in reparations push if she becomes president

Vice President Kamala Harris' longtime pastor and mentor could beryllium a cardinal subordinate successful the reparations propulsion connected the national level if she wins the statesmanlike predetermination connected Tuesday.

Rev. Amos Brown, who has made respective arguable comments, including blaming the United States for the 9/11 violent attacks, was appointed by California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to service arsenic the vice seat of the state's reparations task unit successful 2021 and has called for a reparations propulsion connected the national level.  

In 2022, Brown hosted an lawsuit astatine his religion called "Solidarity for Reparations," which included the arguable Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III. 

Brown, who Harris antecedently said has "been connected this travel with maine each measurement of the way, from erstwhile I archetypal thought astir moving for nationalist bureau astir 2 decades ago" and has traveled with her to antithetic events, introduced Haynes arsenic a "son of Third Baptist" and the "right antheral to travel and to animate us, pass us, and marque definite that we person the representation to instrumentality successful each that we mightiness marque reparations a world not successful the saccharine by-and-by, but close down present successful the present and now."

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Pastor Amos Brown erstwhile pinned blasted connected the U.S. soon aft the 9/11 attacks. (Fox News)

"America, you beryllium us. What you done to america has been immoral. It’s been evil. It’s been unjust. It’s been downright incorrect and the lone mode to bring salvation to America - you gotta wage america what you beryllium us," Haynes said astatine Brown's church. "I've travel by to accidental San Francisco, California, Texas, United States of America, if you privation salvation to travel to this house, you've got to prosecute successful reparations."

Haynes' comments received precocious praise from Brown, who told the congregation "What a wonder. What a word. What a challenge." He past told each the members of the San Francisco reparations task unit successful the assemblage to "implement what our preacher has truthful eloquently stated successful undescribable words. I told you you would person information. You got each the inspiration you need. Now it's clip for implementation."

During an lawsuit past year, Brown said those opposed to reparations are "heartless."

"If anyone says ‘Y’all don’t merit nothing. Stop complaining. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps,’" he said. "I contend they are heartless, and they don’t cognize thing astir that dictum that’s recovered successful each of the satellite religions. What is that dictum?: Do unto others arsenic you would person them bash unto you."

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While Brown has warned activists astir putting a monetary worth connected reparations, saying immoderate of the numbers helium has seen are "not rational" oregon "practical" and could pb to them being "stuck successful quagmire and a skunk fight," Brown said that if different groups are getting money, "What’s bully for the goose is bully for the gander."

Harris has been pressed connected reparations aggregate times this twelvemonth but has stopped abbreviated of afloat endorsing reparations and alternatively has said she thinks the contented should beryllium "studied." 

"I americium moving to beryllium a president for each Americans. That being said, I bash person wide eyes astir the disparities that beryllium and the discourse successful which they exist, meaning history, to your point. So my agenda, well, archetypal of all, connected the constituent of reparations, it has to beryllium studied," Harris said past period during a high-profile interrogation with Charlamagne Tha God. "There's nary question astir that. And I've been precise wide astir that presumption successful presumption of my contiguous plan," 

Democratic statesmanlike nominee Vice President Kamala Harris points during a run rally astatine Jenison Field House connected the field of Michigan State University connected Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, successful East Lansing, Michigan. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

During a speech with members of the National Association of Black Journalists successful September, she was asked whether she would found a committee to survey reparations, but she deflected and alternatively suggested that "Congress yet volition person the quality to bash this work."

However, during her failed 2019 statesmanlike campaign, Harris told The Root that she believes "there has to beryllium immoderate signifier of reparations" for Black Americans.

In a follow-up question astir whether she would beryllium consenting to pb a nationalist speech connected what reparations look similar for Black people, she said, "Yeah, including things similar what we should beryllium doing to instrumentality precise earnestly undiagnosed and untreated trauma." She besides said she would motion now-deceased Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee's H.R. 40 bill, which would signifier a committee to survey reparations for descendants of slaves, if it passed and came crossed her desk.

In summation to Harris' pastor, respective Black activists and advocacy groups supporting her statesmanlike run person openly called for reparations and would apt play a relation successful a nationalist push. 

Ron Busby, the longtime president of the U.S. Black Chambers and a almighty state of Harris, has repeatedly called for reparations. In 2020, Busby fumed, "If you tin constitute a $2 trillion cheque to tiny concern suffering from a pandemic, you tin damn definite person a speech astir reparations."

"It’s connected the array now. It’s a existent conversation," added Busby, who Harris has praised arsenic an "extraordinary leader" who exhibits "courageous leadership."

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Busby, who has visited the Biden-Harris White House dozens of times, has besides advocated for reparations done his Black Chambers organization. The group's 2023 "BLACKprint" called for providing "reparations done concern and show a committedness to uplift Black enterprises."

"As seen passim the past respective years, the increasing treatment astir reparations signals a renewed committedness to participate a caller section successful contention relations. It comes, however, astatine a clip erstwhile rhetoric and enactment endanger to deepen division," the group's yearly study said. "We judge the conception of reparations is little a monetary outgo and much truthful a dedication to an enlargement and implementation of the priorities of this papers erstwhile paired with intentional, growth, and equity-driven policies for Black businesses."

Harris "hosted an exclusive reception astatine her backstage residence" successful July of this twelvemonth successful concern with U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., and featured Busby, who said the reception was a "powerful acknowledgment of the singular advancement Black concern leaders person achieved successful shaping our nation’s economical landscape."  

Ron Busby visited the Biden-Harris White House dozens of times and was "willing to share" resources from Black businesses with China, according to an unearthed report. (Getty Images/Fox News)

The Black Voters Matters Fund, which received $150,000 from the Harris run connected Sept. 19 and has been campaigning for Harris, has repeatedly called for reparations.

"We merit to beryllium compensated for the literal blood, sweat and tears our ancestors were forced to enactment into this country," Black Voters Matters Fund posted successful May. In different station past year, the radical called reparations "crucial for acknowledging past injustices and moving towards a much conscionable and equitable future."

The group's co-founder, Latosha Brown, who has been a predominant visitant to the Biden-Harris White House, has repeatedly posted astir the group's reparations propulsion and said successful a 2021 X station that she has been moving connected the contented for 27 years.

Black Church PAC, which besides received $150,000 from the Harris run past period and is progressive with "Get Out The Vote" efforts successful astatine slightest 3 plaything states, has respective preachers connected its committee who person called for reparations including Rev. Michael McBride, who praised a $15 trillion plan that was projected by Jennifer Epps-Addison, a self-proclaimed "Radical Truth Teller."

Disgraced Women's March person Tamika Mallory, whose radical has been partnering with the Black Church PAC, successful Georgia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, precocious defended Harris against critics who assertion Harris does not enactment reparations enough, saying she has heard Harris accidental "over and implicit again" that she supports reparations. 

Vice President Kamala Harris and Pastor Jamal Bryant astatine New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. (Youtube Screenshot)

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Pastor Jamal Bryant, who is besides connected the board, posted connected Instagram past period that it was a "monumental moment" that helium and different pastor walked from Baltimore to the White House to "bring attraction to the medication that achromatic radical merit #reparations for 400 years of oppression."

"We are the lone marginalized radical successful America that hasn’t been compensated," helium added. "We went 42 miles due to the fact that we ne'er got 40 acres! Even if it’s not connected the ballot it needs to beryllium connected the agenda!"

Harris precocious praised Bryant portion visiting his Georgia-based megachurch past month.

Fox News Digital reached retired to the Harris run and Rev. Brown for comment.