During a political discussion in 2019, junior congressman Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, voiced his opposition to slavery reparations, citing his personal experiences and ancestral ties to slavery. He stated that he took in an African American teenager, Michael, and made him part of his family when Michael was 14 and in a dangerous situation. He highlighted that he opposes taking money from current taxpayers to atone for the actions of past generations.
Reports have confirmed that at least three of Johnson’s ancestors were slaveholders, a fact that has not been previously disclosed. An examination showed that one of his forebears enslaved 14 Black individuals in 1860, including two 1-year-old girls. Another ancestor, Amedee Rachal, enslaved four people in 1860. Furthermore, in 1830, Amedee Rachal’s father, Cyprian Rachal, enslaved 10 people.
It was also revealed that other prominent political figures, including President Joe Biden, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and two U.S. Supreme Court justices – Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch – are descendants of slaveholders. A significant number of lawmakers from the last sitting Congress also have ancestral ties to slavery.
While Reuters examined Johnson’s relationship to slaveholders, it was made clear in a letter to Johnson’s office that they were not suggesting that he was personally accountable for the actions of his ancestors. Johnson’s office declined to comment on the findings but emphasized that the actions of people hundreds of years ago do not impact his work for a colorblind society.
A survey published by Reuters/Ipsos earlier this year revealed that the opinions on reparations are divided. A majority of Democrats (58%) support reparations, while only 18% of Republicans are in favor. The split is even more significant among Black and white Americans, with 74% of Black Americans supporting reparations compared to 26% of white Americans.
Although Reuters was unable to reach Michael, the teenager who joined the Johnson family, an interview published by the Daily Mail quoted him expressing gratitude to the Johnsons for the positive impact they had on his life. Public records show a man by that name, approximately 40 years old, living in Los Angeles County, California.
Johnson has publicly referenced Michael to highlight the racial disparities he faced, particularly in relation to discrimination and systemic hurdles. Johnson mentioned Michael in the context of discrimination during a reparations hearing in 2019 and in an interview on PBS the following year after the killing of George Floyd, emphasizing the challenges Michael faced due to his race.
