Asheville, NC City Council has unanimously approved of a reparations plan for its black residents. The resolution, which passed with a 7-0 vote, will be “increasing minority homeownership,” “increasing minority business ownership and career opportunities,” and implementing “strategies to grow equity and generational wealth.” Councilman Keith Young, who was at the helm of the measure, said that to address systemic issues, you need “to embed systemic solutions.”
“This process begins and is perpetual, repeating this process over and over again,” said the councilman. “There is no completion box to check off.” The measure constructs the Community Reparations Commission which will be comprised of businesses, local groups, and elected officials. “As far as the timeline goes, we will have some steps to report on within six months and every six months after that,” Young said. “This work does not end and will be adaptive, no matter what governing body holds office or who runs our city.”
With a population of just 92,870, whites make up 83% of the population with people of color only representing 9.7% of the residents.
Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer said in a statement, “It’s clear to me that federal reparations legislation would be the most impactful,” adding, “However, this is a conversation that is happening among diverse groups of people in cities and towns throughout the United States and through our resolution the City of Asheville has joined in this conversation.”
Source: abcnews.go.com
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