Wilmington City Council approves task force's report recommending reparations

Anitra Johnson, Delaware News Journal
Updated ·4 min read

Delaware's African Americans descended from enslaved people have faced systematic barriers to education, wealth accumulation, employment opportunities and even the fundamental right to life. Because of these historical factors and societal structures, reparations for African Americans in Wilmington are necessary, according to a task force set up by Wilmington City Council.

In December 2022, the council launched the City Council Reparations Taskforce with the mandate to investigate the impact of slavery and the institutionalization of Jim Crow on African Americans in Delaware. This past March, the 10-member committee documented its findings in a 31-page report.

In the report, the committee said it identified issues that disproportionately affect African Americans in Wilmington. These include uneven law enforcement, differences in accessing city services, limited benefits from government policies and reduced business opportunities.

The document states these disparities manifest in policing, housing and economic equality, education, health and environmental justice. The committee made eight suggestions for addressing these areas.

The reparations task force's recommendations to City Council

A residential street in Wilmington's Eastside neighborhood.
A residential street in Wilmington's Eastside neighborhood.

According to the report, for more than 500 years, race-based schemes intending to deprive African Americans of wealth-building opportunities or the ability to improve their quality of life have been successful.

It said reparations can help mitigate the socioeconomic disparities and systemic inequalities that affect African Americans today. The task force proposed these recommendations as actions the City Council can execute alone or can pursue on behalf of African American communities in Wilmington:

A formal public apology

An apology is suggested to acknowledge the injustices experienced by African Americans in Wilmington and to honor all victims. It was advised that substantial forms of restitution should accompany it.

Legal injustice

  • Mandate bias-free policing policies and training to improve community-police relations.

  • Advocate for state-level reforms in the cash bail system and improve treatment in correctional facilities.

  • Seek funding for the legal education of African American children in Wilmington to become lawyers.

Housing disparities

  • Establish Wilmington Reparations Housing Fund to support African American homeownership.

  • Provide financial assistance for rent and utilities for African American renters.

  • Advocate for state-level property tax relief for African Americans in Wilmington.

Economic disparities

  • Develop a "Black Wall Street" economics development program in African American neighborhoods.

  • Invest in professional career training capacity-building programs for existing African American businesses.

  • Support the annual August Quarterly, the oldest African American religious festival in the country.

  • Push for a guaranteed income program for descendants of African American slaves.

Disparities in education

  • Establish education centers offering instruction and care for African American children while parents work.

  • Expand scholarships for young African Americans in Wilmington to access and remain in college.

  • Partner with and provide funding to community organizations supporting children.

  • Incentivize African American teachers to live and teach in Wilmington and consider community schools over busing.

Document listing school segregation cases to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court
Document listing school segregation cases to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court

Health disparities

  • Establish and fund community wellness centers and health care programs.

  • Provide scholarships for health care training.

  • Require trauma-informed training for community leaders and educators to address systemic racism.

Environmental injustice

  • Increase greenspace access and recreational opportunities in African American neighborhoods.

  • Test for and eliminate toxicity in the environment.

A standing Wilmington City Council Reparations Task Force

  • Create a quasi-government corporation similar to the Wilmington Economic Development Corporation to enforce policies and execute proposed reparations.

  • Establish a permanent Wilmington City Council Taskforce committee tasked to review the effects of ordinances on African Americans.

  • Provide funding for DNA/Ancestry testing for African Americans to identify their American slavery ancestry.

A HISTORY OF RACIAL INEQUITIES: With Wilmington looking to make amends for racial disparities, here are issues at stake

Public input and the historical record shaped the report

The task force's report was initially scheduled for release in May 2023. However, it had been postponed to March 31, 2024, to allow the group to gather public feedback, analyze its findings and develop recommendations.

The public was invited to provide input during committee meetings conducted both in council chambers and virtually and also to take part in town hall meetings. "Our meetings were posted publicly just like any city council meeting or committee meeting," said Coby Owens, chair of the task force.

The report states that subject matter experts contributed scholarly and legal evidence to assist the committee in drafting the document. Much of the information they presented became the foundation for the report findings. Its evaluation also draws upon historical records that document public policies, social order, law enforcement, and legislation that restricted African Americans' freedom to choose where to live, attend school and work.

Action on recommendations is up to City Council

Owens, the advocacy manager for the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, described the report's recommendations as "a very small step" considering Wilmington's potential. He said given the generational wealth lost by African American families, the persistent educational achievement gap and the widening homeownership disparity, more significant measures are necessary.

"It is now time to rectify those wrongs and start making sure we have a more equitable society," Owens said.

Wilmington City Council approved the task force's report on May 2. Implementation of any of its recommendations is at the discretion of the council. Wilmington City Council did not respond when contacted for a comment about this report and its recommendations.

You can contact reporter Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@delawareonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Wilmington City Council Reparations Taskforce report is approved