Vincene Verdun

About the author: Vincene Verdun is an associate professor of law and African American studies at Ohio State University in Columbus.

Lawsuits filed in 2002 are seeking damages from corporations who profited from slavery in the United States. Critics of these suits argue that too many years have passed since the end of slavery and therefore these suits should be barred by the statute of limitations. Resistance to such lawsuits also centers around the fact that no slaves are alive to compensate. However, corporations, abetted by the federal government, contributed to African American poverty by openly practicing racial discrimination for decades after the end of slavery. Therefore, it is reasonable to hold corporations liable for reparations, and the statute of limitations should not apply.

Lawsuits were filed [in March 2002] in federal...