This means that the District will probably join other communities across the country in looking for practical solutions to address the generational harm caused by slavery.
The $21 billion municipal budget, which legislators approved on Tuesday, included a provision requiring the Office of the Chief Financial Officer to oversee the allocation of funds for the creation of a task force to investigate the feasibility of reparations. This provision provided financing for the commission on reparations.
The proposal to establish the task force was submitted by Council Member Kenyan R. McDuffie (I-At Large), who claimed that the $1.5 million in “pre-funding” guarantees that the nine-member reparations task force would be ready to go when and if the council approves his measure. Reparations Foundation Fund and Task Force Establishment Act, which he said he expects to mark up in the autumn, has nine council members as co-sponsors, increasing the likelihood of passing in the event that it is put to a vote.
“It is quite satisfying to reach this stage. But it hasn’t ended yet,” McDuffie said. “We still have some steps to complete at the council, but it is imperative that we move forward with this by ensuring that the funding for the commission’s establishment and the necessary research to generate potential proposals are included in the budget.”
In accordance with McDuffie’s plan, the task force would investigate methods of providing reparations to Black citizens who have suffered from institutional discrimination and racism for many years, dating back to slavery, in a city with some of the most glaring racial wealth inequalities in the country. Additionally, the law mandates that the D.C. The Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking create a database including records of slaveholding, including insurance policies taken out on the property of enslavers. According to McDuffie, the budget also includes that item.
Citing a 2016 Urban Institute study that found White households in D.C. have 81 times the wealth of Black households, McDuffie said, “I think you don’t get to really start chipping away at that racial wealth gap without an understanding of the history and the impact of industry, government policies that contributed to some of the outcomes that we still see today.”
Supporters of McDuffie’s bill and executive director of the DC Justice Lab Patrice Sulton said it was significant that the council had set aside money to establish the commission. Noting that economic disparity may fuel crime, she said she saw the possibility for reparations as a means of promoting community safety in addition to addressing the nation’s startling economic disparities.
Sulton said, “This is a really important time to be looking at.” “The council’s declaration that this is important is really a huge step forward, as it’s related to a lot of things people are looking at nationally regarding the importance of understanding Black history and culture and the mistakes of the past.”
If the council moves forward, the District would be involved in discussions with many large cities and the state of California about how to account for and repair the damage. This is usually a contentious debate because it involves determining who or what should pay for the reparations as well as identifying the living individuals who should benefit from them. For instance, Evanston, Illinois, became the first city in the United States to implement reparations via a restorative housing effort. However, the conservative advocacy organization opposing the program, which is based on race and was extended to include a $25,000 cash payment option, is now suing the city.
When it comes to D.C.’s reparations commission, McDuffie said he anticipates a fierce fight in the autumn. However, he emphasized that the panel’s creation is only the first stage, with its duties consisting of feasibility studies and option development. The task group would examine issues related to eligibility as well as the calculation and allocation of reparations. However, the bill does suggest paying for prospective restitution out of sales tax money as well as fines and penalties collected by the Department of Motor Vehicles; these measures are sure to spark a lot of discussion.
Black citizens may have to pay a percentage of their own reparations, according to groups like the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. This is because Black communities get a greater number of traffic and parking penalties than White neighborhoods. While the organization supports the commission’s intentions, according to deputy policy director Caitlin Schnur, it would rather that the council raise taxes on rich people in order to fund reparations. “We are aware that White people own the majority of the wealth in this District,” she said.
