Press release from the city of Asheville:
The City of Asheville strives to listen to our community. We have heard there is a need to spend more time on the Community Reparations Commission nomination and application process. Staff are working internally to ensure an inclusive process that engages our Black community members.
The City invites community members to take a survey of the proposed nomination and application process found here. The purpose of the survey is to make sure both the nomination and application are easily understood, easy to complete and that residents can get involved in the process. The survey will close Monday, November 1.
The Community Reparations Commission nomination and the application process will open in mid-November and additional information will be sent to community members on how to apply. We commit to letting our partners and community members know when and how to apply.
As part of this feedback time, there will be information sessions planned to hear more about the Community Reparations Commission, nomination and application process. The sessions will begin in November and all information on the sessions can be found on our website.
Background:On July 14, 2020, Asheville City Council unanimously passed a Resolution supporting community reparations for Black Asheville. The resolution acknowledges systemic racism present in the community, as well as nationally. The resolution directs the City Manager to establish a process to develop short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations to specifically address the creation of generational wealth and to boost economic mobility and opportunity in the Black community.
At their June 8, 2021, meeting, Asheville City Council voted to appropriate $2.1 million in proceeds from the sale of City-owned land at 172 and 174 South Charlotte Street to fund the community reparations process through the project management phase with the Community Reparations Commission’s planning and community engagement process, leaving approximately $1.9 million in initial funding that will assist with the costs of the Reparations process. This process will provide recommendations and a final report in late Spring 2023. Additional funding for Reparations will be reviewed throughout this 19-month process as short-, medium- and long-term recommendations are provided by the Community Reparations Commission to Asheville City Council for consideration.
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