Ending racism 'is not enough': Newark mayor narrates animated reparations video that demands 'direct payments' for black residents who are 'held back'

The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, narrated a video that asked for "direct payments" and change of policy for black residents of the state who are being "held back" by "structural racism" that has allegedly perpetuated for hundreds of years.

Democrat Mayor Ras Baraka said that he "wanted to be a part of it in any way," in regard to an animated video titled "Say the Word: Reparations in New Jersey" by the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

As reported by NJ.com, the video explained why the group believes reparations are owed to the black residents of New Jersey.

“This is a historical stain on America’s legacy for a long period of time,” said Baraka. “Some of the issues that have been long standing in New Jersey. Some of this stuff can be remedied by just having a discussion about policies to address some of the things that have happened.”

The video described that black New Jerseyans are still held back by policies and practices in "education, housing, employment, the environment, the justice system, democracy, and health."

In order to illustrate the alleged disparities between whites and blacks in the state, the animation showed a road with a white car and a black car driving in separate lanes. The white car had a clear path with upward ramps, while the black car had to drive through pot holes and unpaved roads.

The video admitted that while ending a racist "attitude" is critical, it is not enough.

"A change in attitude around race alone, while critical, is simply not enough," the mayor read. "Because these harms were inflicted and maintained through policy, they must also be repaired by policy."

The solutions expressed were focused on both deep fiscal investments as well as simple cash payments.

"New Jersey must acknowledge, end, and repair the harms it's caused to its black communities by deeply investing in the very areas where there have been generations worth of systemic disinvestment. This can look like funding for reparative policies and programs and direct payments," the social justice campaign explained.

Baraka recently responded to the Supreme Court's decision regarding race-based college admissions and called it a "rolling back of decades of progress toward inclusion and equality."

"People of color have been denied access to institutions of higher learning because of racism and systemic bias," the mayor added.

Mayor Baraka has been in political office since 2005 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and a Master of Arts in Education Supervision from St. Peter's University.

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