DETROIT – History was made this week when the Detroit City Council voted to appoint members to the city’s first reparations task force.
On Feb. 24, the last Friday of Black History Month, Detroit City Council held a press conference to celebrate the monumental occasion and empower the community as it’s still a long road ahead.
This comes after a ballot initiative was passed by more than 80% of Detroit voters in November 2021.
The task force includes 13 members, four executive committee members, and nine general members.
“And for folks who say it will never happen? Just to get to this moment was somebody’s wildest dream,” says Lauren Hood, executive committee co-chair.
It’s a moment of pride for members of the new task force and city council members.
“Today starts the day of rebuilding and repairing the harm that was caused by racist practices that were executed by the white majority against African Americans from the 1900s to the present day,” said Keith Williams, executive committee co-chair. “The most important thing, Black people lost wealth through these practices. They hindered economic growth for generations to generations.
“As we stand mere blocks from the home of the mother of the civil rights movement, Rosa Parks, the pursuit of reparations represents paying homage to those who struggled to get us this far,” says City Council President Mary Sheffield (District 5).
Sheffield wants to be clear about what they mean by reparations. “This is not about handouts, it is about quantifying and acknowledging the pain and the suffering of our ancestors and our people.”
How they will go about getting those reparations still needs to be discussed and decided. Executive committee member Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson believes there is a long list of options.
“Paying descendants of Black Bottom for assets that were destroyed,” said Watson. “We need to repay billions of HUD dollars that were intended for citizens of Detroit that never got to citizens of Detroit.”
Members say it will take time and ask for patience.
“The process of harming black and indigenous people has transcended multiple generations that means the process of repair will likely transcend multiple generations and the benefits awarded should have a value that transcends multiple generations,” said Hood.
The task force is working to have their first meeting in March. It will be open to the public and online.