14July 2020
In an unanimous vote Tuesday night, Asheville City board passed a resolution
vowing to address bigotry and support neighborhood reparations for Black Asheville. In advance of passing Resolution 20-128, Councilman Keith Young stated the death of George Floyd this year highlighted the need to boldly deal with racial inequities and act that outlasts the emotions of this minute.
“It is merely insufficient to eliminate statues. Black people in this country are dealing with concerns that are systemic in nature,” Young explained.
The resolution gets in touch with the city to establish a Neighborhood Reparations Commission that will focus on monetary top priorities that seek to increase minority own a home, boost minority company ownership and career opportunities, as well as strategies that will close the gaps in healthcare, education, employment and pay.
“I do not wish to be made whole from the shuffling of money that another chosen body can alter at the drop of a penny. I want generations to be made entire,” stated Young.
Councilwoman Sheneika Smith called the resolution a primary step in acknowledging the historic wrongs that have actually been perpetuated against the Black community.
“Reparations is more than restitution for what occurred throughout the transatlantic servant trade. It is a dark evil sin of chattel slavery that is the root of all injustice and inequity at work in American life today,” asserted Smith.
“I want that our educational system would have done a greater job at exposing the origins and the long lasting effects of the lots of dimensions of bigotry.”
Read Asherville’s complete resolution on reparations here. Previously this month, Wake County Commissioners took an advance by stating
racism a public health crisis. Click listed below to view Asheville’s City Council go over the resolution (starting around the 2:37 mark):
pulse.ncpolicywatch.org