Who?
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) — Member, AOC’s progressive “Squad”
LISTEN: Laslo & Pressley
Ask a Pol asks:
What’s your message for Black Americans as the US marks its 250th anniversary?
Pressley replies:
“It’s a celebration, the anniversary of this country, and it’s important that we tell the accurate telling of our history and we acknowledge the harm that has been caused and that we plan for the next 250 to be better and different,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley exclusively told Ask a Pol Politics.
“And that includes the work of truth and reconciliation, and it means redress and reparative policies that acknowledge and undo — right the wrongs that have been done to Black Americans from the transatlantic slave trade, to chattel slavery, to Jim Crow, to redlining and those inequities persist.”
Key Pressley:
“We have done reparatory compensation in this country for other groups. We’ve done it for survivors of Japanese internment camps. We’ve done it — as I said — for the coal miners living with black lung or Americans that experienced harms from where the nuclear bomb was being built. But we’ve not done it for Black Americans and it’s long overdue,” Pressley said. “Reparations now — this is not a plea for charity or benevolence. This is about reciprocity.”
ICYMI — our saga continues…
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Caught our ear:
“The fact that 1 million Black veterans were denied access to the GI Bill, that they were discriminated against after they fought for this country — and that GI Bill was foundational for so many families of white veterans to build generational wealth, to pursue education,” Pressley tells us.
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Ayanna Pressley (6-11-2026)
SCENE: On a brutally hot and humid summer day, Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo catches Rep. Ayanna Pressley outside the US Capitol after her social justice press conference wrapped up.
Matt Laslo: What’s your message for Black Americans as the US marks its 250th anniversary?
Rep. Ayanna Pressley: “You know, we’re marking the 250th — it’s a celebration, the anniversary of this country, and it’s important that we tell the accurate telling of our history and we acknowledge the harm that has been caused and that we plan for the next 250 to be better and different. And that includes the work of truth and reconciliation, and it means redress and reparative policies that acknowledge and undo — right the wrongs that have been done to Black Americans from the transatlantic slave trade, to chattel slavery, to Jim Crow, to redlining and those inequities persist.”
Laslo: “Ahuh?”
Pressley: “I mean, the fact that 1 million Black veterans were denied access to the GI Bill, that they were discriminated against after they fought for this country — and that GI Bill was foundational for so many families of white veterans to build generational wealth, to pursue education — so that’s just one example.”
Laslo: “Hmm?”
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Pressley: “We have done reparatory compensation in this country for other groups. We’ve done it for survivors of Japanese internment camps. We’ve done it — as I said — for the coal miners living with black lung or Americans that experienced harms from where the nuclear bomb was being built. But we’ve not done it for Black Americans and it’s long overdue. Reparations now — this is not a plea for charity or benevolence. This is about reciprocity.”
Laslo: “There you go. Get out of this heat, ma’am.”
The Congresswoman heads to her awaiting SUV.
Pressley: “Thank you.”
Laslo turns to the Congresswoman’s aides.
Laslo: “Preciate y’all!”
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