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PBS News Hour

Can reparations help right the wrongs of slavery?

The first African slaves arrived in North America 400 years ago this month, landing at Jamestown in what's now Virginia. Recently, the idea of paying reparations for the atrocity of slavery has been earning new attention, even making its way into 2020 presidential debates. Economics correspondent Paul Solman examines the question of whether a debt might be owed to generations of slave descendants.