U.S. Cities Forge a Path Towards Racial Justice with Local Reparations Initiatives

As the United States grapples with its history of racial injustice, a number of cities have begun taking tangible steps towards what is often considered one of the most daunting and controversial forms of remedy: reparations. For communities such as Asheville, North Carolina, and Evanston, Illinois, reparations are seen as a means to address a legacy of discrimination that has persisted through policies and practices negatively affecting African Americans.

In Asheville, retired political science professor and chair of the local Community Reparations Commission, Dwight Mullen, views the city's reparations process as an extension of his lengthy career charting racial disparities. The commission, appointed by both the city and Buncombe County, has released draft recommendations focusing on rectifying inequalities affecting education, housing, healthcare, economic development, and criminal justice.

Commenting on the city’s efforts, Asheville’s director of equity & inclusion, Brenda Mills, highlights the varying perceptions of reparations—from monetary compensation to transformative policies and programs. The goal is to move from data to action, providing concrete benefits to those affected by a history of racism.

Seventy miles north of Asheville is the Evanston model, offering another pioneering approach to local reparations. Spearheaded by then-city council member Robin Rue Simmons, the program aims to compensate Black residents affected by discriminatory zoning laws before 1969. With broad support, this ambitious initiative has set an influential precedent.

The challenge of Evanston's model was in legally recognizing past policies as discriminatory. Once achieved, the city could start offering up to $25,000 for housing-related costs to impacted Black families. This initiative not only provides financial redress but also inspires dialogue and trust in government—essential elements for healing and community solidarity.

The efforts in Evanston have gained nationwide attention, with a survey demonstrating significant public support and an interest to replicate the model in over 100 communities through Simmons' nonprofit, First Repair. Though local efforts have been met with resistance from groups like Judicial Watch and skepticism from economist William A. Darity Jr. concerning the efficiency of piecemeal reparations, cities are undeterred in their pursuit of justice.

Remarkably, public opinion remains divided, with significant support within African-American communities but far less among white Americans. Despite this, local initiatives are persistently pursued—even in places like Amherst, Massachusetts, where a reparations process has prioritized community-specific needs such as education and affordable housing, reflecting direct input from the town's Black residents.

These local efforts, while limited in scope compared to potential federal action, offer crucial, lived experiences of what reparative justice might look like on a small scale. They stand as powerful testaments to the possibilities ahead and serve as catalysts in building momentum for a larger movement towards redressal at a national level.

The push for reparations, however daunting, demonstrates that at the heart of these initiatives are communities seeking to right historical wrongs through acknowledgment, redress, and the promotion of equity. These city-led reparations programs may signify a burgeoning trend in crafting more equitable futures grounded in the acknowledgment of past injustices.