Reparations commissions get the green light in Detroit and Greenbelt
Detroit, Michigan – Ballot initiatives in Detroit, Michigan, and Greenbelt, Maryland, put the question of forming local reparations commissions to the people – and they voted overwhelmingly in favor on Election Day.
Voters in Detroit voted 80% in favor of forming a reparations task force to develop proposals for Black reparations, the Detroit Metro Times reported.
According to Proposal R, the commission will be tasked with developing "recommendations for housing and economic development programs that address historical discrimination against the Black community in Detroit."
Actually enacting those recommendations is a separate matter. The ballot initiative merely sets the stage to begin researching and suggesting possible solutions for generations of racial discrimination in the city.
Though Detroit voters came out in force for Proposal R, the same can't be said for Proposal S, which would have changed the city charter to allow everyday Detroit residents rather than the city council to determine how tax money is spent. 53% of people who hit the polls voted against the measure, making it unclear how resources will be allocated to the new task force.
But funding isn't the only open question concerning the commission. It's also uncertain when the task force will be formed and who will be on it.
In Greenbelt, residents also voted in favor of creating a commission that will develop possible reparations proposals for Black and Indigenous Americans.
The Maryland city was established as one of FDR's planned communities under the New Deal. Though Black people helped build the city's affordable housing, they were barred from purchasing homes there.
In Greenbelt's case, the city council will name the individuals who will comprise the 21-member commission, NBC reported.
Still, there are a lot of open questions about timing, funding, and the composition of the commission.
The answers to these questions will be key in evaluating the legitimacy of the reparations proposals ultimately devised.
Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire