Council OKs reparations commission
Feb. 8—HIGH POINT — High Point leaders on Monday blessed the formation of a city commission that will explore slavery reparations for Black residents.
The City Council voted 5-4 to adopt a resolution that establishes a "One High Point Commission" charged with studying what backers of the effort describe as the city's support of slavery and complicity in racial discrimination and recommending possible remedies that might include a formal apology by the city and "awards of compensation."
Council members Michael Holmes, Cyril Jefferson, Tyrone Johnson, Monica Peters and Chris Williams voted to approve the resolution, which was requested by the High Point NAACP branch.
Supporters argued that the action doesn't commit the city to anything. It will be up to the commission to decide whether an apology or compensation is warranted, and its findings will be reported to the council.
Opponents said they weren't necessarily against the formation of a commission, but that more time was needed for council to study the NAACP resolution in detail.
"This is a very important thing we're considering, and I think it would be wise of us to put this out for public comment for a period of time," said Mayor Jay Wagner, who voted against adopting the resolution, along with council members Wesley Hudson, Victor Jones and Britt Moore.
"I still have very deep reservations about the city's legal authority to do some of the things called for in this resolution," Wagner said.
Supporters pointed out that the language of the resolution had been vetted by city attorneys.
The resolution states that, within 30 days, a selection committee will be formed comprising Hudson (as chairman of the Prosperity and Livability Committee) and one other council member, four members appointed by the NAACP branch and two members of city staff appointed by City Manager Tasha Logan Ford.
The selection committee will appoint the 13-member One High Point Commission, with the members to be chosen based on their "education, training, activism or experience, particularly in the field of African American studies and reparatory justice."
The 13 commission members will include two council members, nine city residents and two NAACP chapter representatives.
The selection committee will put forth its recommended commission members within 90 days for council consideration and approval.
The first commission meeting will be within 120 days. All of its meetings will be open to the public. It must submit a written report of its findings to the council within a year of its first meeting.
Its responsibilities will include studying and documenting the extent of slavery and segregation in High Point and what role the city may have played in sanctioning both.
According to the resolution, its recommendations will address how the city may apologize "for the perpetration of gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity" against slaves and their descendants, as well as potential forms of "compensation, rehabilitation or restitution" to Black city residents.
