Durham calls for federal reparations for the descendants of enslaved people

Durham city leaders called Monday night for a federal program to give reparations “to the descendants of enslaved Africans sufficient to eliminate the racial wealth gap.”

The resolution followed a recommendation to the City Council by Durham’s Racial Equity Task Force, which delivered a 14-page report to council members in July.

“This is a resolution responding to several of the recommendations by the race equity task force, which concerns areas of policy that are either outside of our legal scope or our financial size in order to be able to implement,” said Mayor Pro Tem Jillian Johnson, who proposed the task force in 2018.

In addition to reparations, the council seeks three more federal actions to increase racial equity, the resolution states.

▪ a universal basic income to all citizens sufficient to meet each person’s basic needs

▪ a guaranteed federal or federally funded living-wage job to all citizens

▪ an increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour or higher, with regular increases to account for increases in cost of living and inflation

The city of Durham “commits itself fully to all necessary advocacy to ensure that these policies are implemented,” the resolution states.

The council voted 7-0 to approve the document.

National conversation about reparations

A bill before Congress would form a commission to develop a reparations program at a national level.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat, introduced the bill in January 2019. It currently waits for further action from the House and the Senate.

H.R. 40 would establish a commission to “examine slavery and discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies,” according to the bill document.

Other cities across the country have pledged support for reparations this year, too, but officials are approaching the idea in different ways.

In Providence, Rhode Island, the mayor signed an executive order to pursue a “truth-telling and reparations process” for Black and Indigenous people in July, the Providence Journal reported.

The mayor announced in September that Providence would launch a guaranteed income pilot program, the Journal reported.

Durham City Council member Mark-Anthony Middleton also suggested the city attempt a basic income experiment in August, The News & Observer reported.

Asheville’s city council also signed a resolution in July to provide the Black community opportunities to build wealth, according to the city website. In August, Buncombe County joined Asheville in support of reparations and told the county manager to prioritize racial equity in policy-making, the Citizen Times reported.

Neither Asheville nor Buncombe County mandated reparations in the form of direct payments.

Durham County discusses racial equity

At the county level, Durham officials are beginning to move forward with the recommendations of the Racial Equity Take Force.

County commissioners received a presentation Monday by a speaker from Black Agenda 919, a racial equity coalition.

Nana Asante-Smith of Black Agenda 919 asked the county to establish a commission with joint-support from the city and Durham’s board of education.

A total of 537 people in Durham signed a letter supporting the effort.

“Long after the media moves on to its next hot topic, this commission will recognize that racial inequities permeate the lives of Black people, people of color, each and every day of our lives,” said Asante-Smith. “They permeate access to education, what experiences are like within the criminal justice system, what our access to wealth and economy looks like.”

County officials expressed their support.

“Thank you for the work that you’re doing. Thank you for your commitment that Durham be a place for all,” said Commissioner Brenda Howerton.

The commissioners will receive another presentation on the issue Oct. 26.

This story was originally published October 6, 2020 at 7:39 AM with the headline "Durham calls for federal reparations for the descendants of enslaved people."