- Henrietta Wood, a Black woman, won a rare victory in her lawsuit for reparations against her enslaver in front of an all-white jury.
- Wood’s case in 1878 resulted in a $2,500 award, the largest sum ever at the time, which she used to start a new life in Chicago.
- While there is growing support for reparations in recent years, federal efforts have stalled despite state-level initiatives and proposed legislation.
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- In 1870, a Black woman sued her enslaver for reparations and won (businessinsider.com)
A Black woman named Henrietta Wood once sued her enslaver and won in front of an all-white jury. Her story is a rare victory in the history of reparations in America. While there has been more vocal support for reparations in recent years, little action has been taken.
Wood was born into slavery in Kentucky and was later sold multiple times. She faced physical and mental abuse from her enslavers. After being declared free by one of her enslaver’s wives, Wood experienced a brief period of freedom before being kidnapped and enslaved again for 16 years.
After her second period of enslavement, Wood sued her captor for damages and lost wages. Despite facing many obstacles, she ultimately won the case in 1878 with the support of an all-white jury. However, the court only awarded her $2,500, significantly less than the $20,000 she had requested. Nevertheless, it was still the largest sum ever awarded for reparations at that time.
Wood used the money from the lawsuit to move to Chicago with her son, who later became one of the first Black men to graduate from what is now Northwestern University’s School of Law. Her case served as proof of the lasting impact reparations could have.
In recent years, there has been a growing call for reparations, with individual states instituting their own reparations committees. However, federal efforts have stalled, despite apologies issued by the Senate and House of Representatives for slavery and Jim Crow laws.
Last year, Democratic Rep. Cori Bush proposed legislation called “Reparations Now,” which aims to provide reparations to the descendants of enslaved people. The fight for reparations continues as activists push for the government to address the harm caused by slavery and its ongoing repercussions.
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- In 1870, a Black woman sued her enslaver for reparations and won (businessinsider.com)