For Immediate Release
January 20, 2026
LOS ANGELES – At the same time the nation is witnessing the erasure of the contributions of Black Americans, a prominent sociologist, Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter, today announced the paperback release of his seminal work, “Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of A Nation.” The groundbreaking tome echoes the spirit of Derrick Bell’s Faces at the Bottom of the Well. It offers a radical and refreshing framework on reparations, and invites us to seriously grapple with issues of justice and repair.
In celebration of the launch of the book, Hunter will headline an event at Baldwin & Co. on January 20, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. CST. The event is open press; interested parties may register here.
For over a century, the idea of reparations for the descendants of formerly enslaved Black Americans has divided the nation. While the iconic phrase “40 acres and a mule” encapsulates the general notion of reparations, history has proven that the damages of enslavement on the African American community remarkably transcends what plots of land or checks could repair.
In a compelling reframing of justice, Hunter reimagines reparations and defines seven types of compensation: political, intellectual, legal, economic, spatial, social, and spiritual. He developed this framework using analysis of historical documents, comparative international cases, and speculative parables.
While highlighting the insufficiency of monetary settlement alone, Hunter presents a revolutionary manifesto to achieve holistic and prolific healing for Black communities.
As a social justice pioneer, conversation shifter, and inventor of the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag, Hunter invites, indeed demands, us to grapple with transformative and comprehensive solutions to repair and heal the nation’s original sin. For instance, he has spoken passionately about labor acknowledgements honoring the contributions of formerly enslaved Black Americans.
Trenchant and timely, RADICAL REPARATIONS fiercely reimagines the forthcoming legacies of Black Americans and paves a unifying path forward for us all.
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