Press release from the city of Asheville:
The City of Asheville Reparations Initiative is seeking nominations and applications for the Community Reparations Commission. Applications will be available on November 19 with nominations and applications to be accepted through December 22.
The Community Reparations Commission is charged with coming up with recommendations to City Council to repair the harm done by decades of racial discrimination and systemic oppression against Black Asheville residents. The reparations process in Asheville will focus on five impact areas which include housing, economic development, health, education, and criminal justice.
The Commission will be composed of 25 members; 15 commission members will be nominated by persons from historically impacted neighborhoods, to include public housing and former historically African American neighborhoods (for example Stumptown). These members will come through a neighborhood nomination process and the selection is at the discretion of the neighborhood organizations who submit the nomination. If you are interested, please contact one of these neighborhood associations. A neighborhood contact list is available on the City of Asheville Neighborhood Services webpage. The remaining members of the Community Reparations Commission representing the five (5) impact focus areas will be approved by City Council with five (5) seat appointments and five (5) seat appointments by the Buncombe County Commissioners. The Community Reparations Commission members will contribute approximately 5-10 hours per month over a two-year term.
The City will have three virtual informational meetings for the community to ask questions about the process. Registration is required to attend.
A printed version of the application and the online version applications will be available November 19. For more information about how to apply or nominate someone, please visit the Reparations project page or the City Boards & Commission webpage. Printed versions of the application will be available at the City Manager’s Officer, Second Floor of Asheville City Hall, 70 Court Plaza. Please return filled out versions of the printed applications to the City Manager’s Office by mail or in person by December 22.
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