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Both Wright and Carruthers were involved in the Illinois Transatlantic Slave Trade Commission, (web site) established by the Illinois State Legislature in 2005. Its purpose was to examine the "past and present effects on African-Americans" of the slave trade and it issued a report in 2007. (web site) Wright was an "associate" of the commission while Carruthers was the "senior research consultant."

Its findings included that Christopher Columbus was part of the Catholic Church's "century of blood" in the establishment of the slave trade system, and that civil war U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, acknowledged to be "the most famous son of Illinois," didn't morally object to slavery but only wanted to "restore the Union to white consensus."

In 2003, Carruthers spoke on behalf of Obama's Trinity United Church of Christ at a "summit on reparations" opened by Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam. (web site) Another group represented at the Farrakhan summit was the Republic of New Afrika (RNA), which seeks the creation of a black nation in the U.S. in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.

In 2007, Carruthers endorsed a document (web site) urging that "Financial and human resources be identified and made available, in trust and otherwise, with appropriate church, community, and academic entities to effect institutional development and remedies from the Transatlantic slave trade system and colonialism at the local, national and global levels." The document said that reparations should be "offered for the healing of peoples who were once enslaved."

Like Obama, Carruthers and Wright have been deeply involved in African affairs. They traveled to the "motherland," as they call it, where Wright was photographed (web site) in Ghana in "full ceremonial regalia" as a "development chief" and Carruthers was elevated to the position of "queen mother." Obama's wearing of African garb became a national controversy.

But the more important issue, from a public policy perspective, is how he would handle taxpayer dollars.

While Carruthers said she did not know where Obama stood on the issue of reparations, the Chicago Tribune reported that he was asked in 2004 about the matter and "spoke about how slavery had left a stain on the country that has yet to be eradicated." Nevertheless, he said that he opposed "just signing checks over to African-Americans."

During the presidential campaign, the issue came up during a Democratic presidential debate (web site) and only Dennis Kucinich said he favored reparations. Obama changed the subject, saying he favored more spending on schools.

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