NAACP seeks 'reparations commission'

Pat Kimbrough, The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·2 min read

May 18—HIGH POINT — The NAACP High Point branch asked the city Monday to establish a "commission on reparations" to "address a reparation and repair agenda for the Black citizens of High Point."

Branch President James Adams told the City Council that a commission would study the needs of the Black community and recommend ways to make up for the legacy of slavery, segregation and other injustices.

Adams did not ask the council to allocate funding or take any legislative action. But he said that the public sector could have a role in addressing any disparities that are identified by a commission.

"Our goal is to show that the redistribution of resources in High Point is good business for High Point, as we grow together as one community," Adams said. "A commission charged with the responsibility to identify the needs of the Black community and to determine the disparity that exists will bring to bear how we right the wrongs of the past, leveling the field for Blacks in High Point, which will pave the way for equity on all fronts."

The council voted 9-0 to send the request for a commission to the Prosperity and Livability Commission for further study.

"I'm happy for this to go on P&L, and I will volunteer to serve on this commission. I think it's a great idea," Councilman Wesley Hudson said. "I think we certainly should discuss it."

Adams presented an "abstract reparation document" outlining the NAACP branch's goals for the Black community in High Point.

These include general priorities like better housing and educational opportunities, as well as access to quality health care.

The document also makes specific requests of the city.

One is for a "review of current funding of our police department" to examine opportunities to "allocate/redistribute funding for community-based solutions, which ensure that law enforcement is applied without malice and pre-judgment to citizens of High Point."

It also cites the goal of increasing to at least 34% the amount of city purchasing orders, contracts, grants and loans that are awarded to Black-owned businesses.

The NAACP branch argues that the promise of equality of opportunity for Blacks is not enough, and that "the redistribution of tangible resources that make up for the 244-year head start in the building and transference of generational wealth" among whites is called for.

"As we shed light on these concerns and others, we are requesting that the High Point City Council partner with us in creating a new culture in our city by opening the doors of generational wealth to its Black citizens, especially the descendants of American slaves," he said.

pkimbrough@hpenews.com — 336-888-3531

pkimbrough@hpenews.com — 336-888-3531