Detroit's Reparations Task Force: What it is, why it's important

Detroit's Reparations Task Force kicked off its first meeting April 13 at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center and plans to meet regularly.

Board members will open meetings to the public in different districts to engage residents all over the city. The task force is the first of its kind in Detroit and board members aim to provide recommendations to address harms of systemic racism on Black residents.

What is the task force?

The Reparations Task Force is a 13-member body responsible for recommending housing and economic development programs aimed at boosting opportunities for Black residents in Detroit.

More:Detroit Reparations Task Force co-chair: 'Responsibility shouldn't just be the government'

How did it form?

Residents approved a ballot initiative in 2021 in an 80% vote recommending that Detroit City Council establish a task force to make recommendations for programs that address the scars of historical discrimination.

Why it's important

More than half of Detroiters support reparations with the vast majority believing discrimination against Black people continues to affect them, according to a University of Michigan study. The majority who support reparations said they believe economic disparities still exist between Black and white Americans.

During an announcement spotlighting the board members, City Council President Mary Sheffield, who spearheaded the resolution to establish the task force, said the Black community has been "unjustly enslaved, segregated, murdered, brutalized, incarcerated, denied housing and mortgages, displaced, faced redlining, environmental injustices, gentrification and more," and that evidence of systemic racism is still present in Detroit.

Detroit's board members

The four executive members include co-chairs Keith Williams and Lauren Hood, the Rev. JoAnn Watson and Dorian Tyus. The nine board members are Allen Venerable, Jeffrey Robinson, Camille Collins, Bernard Parker, Gregory Hicks, Maurice Weeks, Janis Hazel, Cydney Calloway and Anita Belle.

How did they get appointed?

Sheffield appointed the four executive members while the remaining nine were nominated by City Council members. In a formal session meeting, council members voted on the nominees.

When will they meet?

The board has yet to formally identify a specific day to meet but expects to meet biweekly. Meetings are open to the public and will take place in different neighborhoods to further engage the public. They will also be streamed virtually.

Meeting notices will be posted on the city’s website or on Sheffield's page.

What is the timeline?

The task force has 18 months from its first meeting to provide a written report to City Council that provides recommendations.

Committees in other cities

Evanston, Illinois, was the first city in the nation to provide reparations for its Black residents for past discrimination, the Associated Press reports. Committee members were appointed by the mayor and have been meeting monthly, according to the city's website.

San Francisco also has an African American Reparations Advisory Committee that advises the mayor, legislative body, human rights commission and the public. Their mission is similar to Detroit's in highlighting ways that city policies have harmed the Black community. But it will also provide actions to address discrimination and inequities in housing, education, transit access and food security, according to their website.

Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact Dana: dafana@freepress.com or 313-635-3491. Follow her on Twitter: @DanaAfana.