Tatishe Nteta on "Uncounted Millions: The Power of Reparations"

Content

Tatishe Nteta, Provost Professor of Political Science and Director of UMass Poll, recently appeared on the podcast Into America and their series "Uncounted Millions: The Power of Reparations." This series explores the idea of reparations in the U.S., and what the reality of Black America might be if reparations had been put into place years ago. Nteta specifically discussed the results of a 2023 UMass Poll, which found that about 30% of the white population in the U.S. now support reparations for Black Americans. 

"What we found was that people aren't concerned about the cost of the program. They're not concerned about the logistics, you know, identifying who is a descendant of a slave and who is not," says Nteta. "The central issue that explains opposition in our polling is the question of deservedness. I think it's a reflection of the stereotypes directed at African Americans, particularly regarding their work ethic, the stereotypical, the sort of materialistic inclinations."