Support Us Button Widget

Offer input on the Community Reparations Commission’s draft recommendations

See and have a say in the recommendations before they’re presented to the City of Asheville and Buncombe County Board of Commissioners.

a panel discussion at the community reparations commission summit in asheville nc

The Reparations Summit offered a first look at the draft recommendations.

Photo via City of Asheville

Table of Contents

We’re all about making your voice heard. So when the Community Reparations Commission put out a call for feedback on its newly released draft recommendations, we knew we had to share that request with you. The Commission has yet to finalize these recommendations and vote to present them to the City Council and the County Commissioner — the community input will be a informative resource before these steps are taken.

A little background

The Commission was formed as part of a City resolution to develop short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations that address reparations for the Black community and has been meeting since April 2022 to create a strategic plan. The City, County, and the UNC Asheville Department of Education and Africana Studies Program also hosted a summit at the beginning of this month to draw the community more deeply into the conversation, share the Commission’s findings, and give attendees a first look at what’s being recommended.

Review the recommendations

Now that the recommendations are available for wider public feedback, let’s take a look at some of the suggestions on the drafting table. The 25 total draft recommendations fall under the Commission’s five impact focus areas:

  • Criminal justice includes increasing Black representation in City and County criminal justice programs and jobs + mandatory annual training for public servants in the criminal justice field.
  • Economic development includes establishing an Economic Development Center for Black Asheville + funding grants for Black-owned businesses.
  • Education includes a recruitment and retention package for Black educators + creating an Education Accountability Task Force.
  • Health and wellness includes funding Black-owned and led health centers + mental health support for Black residents.
  • Housing includes acquiring the South Charlotte Street corridor City-owned property for mixed-used, mixed-income development + creating a Black Homeownership Financial Literacy and Action Campaign.

View the full draft, then submit your thoughts to this survey. If you want to learn more about the Commission’s work, you can sit in on a meeting or sign up for regular updates.

More from AVLtoday
Check out these yoga studios around the Land of the Sky, which offer beginner classes, memberships, hot yoga, and more.
Over the years, the Land of the Sky has been on the receiving end of some truly special gestures that reflect the heart and soul of the community. We’re reflecting on three unique gifts given to Asheville.
During the hustle and bustle of the holidays, make sure to take some time to support your own mental health with the help of these local resources.
Share your questions with us, and we’ll do our best to answer them throughout the year.
From dustings to blizzards, we have a long relationship with snow here in the mountains.
Whether pastries or breads, cupcakes or cookies — turn to the experts, and you’ll get the treats down in no time.
These Asheville restaurants will be serving up delicious dining over the holidays.
Winter is coming — and so are winter sports.
The Third Room is part live music venue and part art gallery, but brings digital art to the forefront throughout the entire space.
Sponsored