U.S. cities and states are discussing reparations for Black Americans. Here’s what’s key.

As Black Lives Matter protests have surged across the United States, several cities and at least one state have taken significant steps toward offering reparations for slavery and its legacy of systemic racism, including Evanston, Ill.; Asheville, N.C.; Burlington, Vt.; Providence, R.I.; and California. Discussions about U.S. reparations for Black people have been underway for years, but the momentum “feels different this time,” as New York Times journalist (and “1619 Project” leader) Nikole Hannah-Jones wrote in June.