DETROIT – The Detroit Reparations Task Force is asking Black Detroiters to suggest how reparations should be implemented in the city.
The 13-member task force released a 35-question reparations survey on housing, education, and quality of life issues.
DRTF Co-Chair Cidney Calloway chose to meet Local 4 at Gordon Park, where the 1967 uprising started, to discuss the task force’s push for public engagement.
“I did want to make sure we did touch on a spot of harm, particularly because that’s literally the basis of this work,” said Calloway. “It’s like we have been harmed, and now we have to find repair and what it looks like.”
The results will inform the task force’s report on reparations to the Detroit City Council, which must be presented by March 2025.
“Hopefully, they’ll take what we’ve recommended and kind of move forward with enacting some policy and ordinances around that,” Calloway said.
Tackling reparations is extremely challenging, but Calloway believes it may be easier to do so on a municipal level.
Detroiters Reginald Robinson and Mickey McConnell, who are cousins, shared their responses to a couple of survey questions.
McConnell said, “Providing cash payments to Black Detroiters is extremely important.”
Robinson responded, “Providing grants to Black Detroiters of up to $40,000 for a downpayment on a mortgage was not as important.”
“Giving somebody the cash, they have the ability to make their choices, whatever they want to do, whether positive or negative. Hopefully (it will) be along positive lines,” Robinson said.
Calloway said that as of Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 14), 112 responses had been received to the survey.
She said The task force’s goal is 500.