When the Raleigh City Council offered an apology acknowledging the city’s past participation in slavery, segregation, and enforcement of Jim Crow it received headlines. But the attention soon faded because there was no follow-up on the most significant part of the resolution — to establish a Racial Equity and Reparative Justice Commission.
The Raleigh Reparative Justice Working Group has taken the lead to keep the request for the City to establish a Reparative Justice Commission. We have letters and emails from 25 Raleigh organizations that support the establishment of a commission. There are over 500+ residents that have signed a petition. We know the budget conversations will start or have already started this fall. We want this request for staff funding to support this initiative included in the FY25 budget discussions.
Huge needs for public housing.
Public Comments focused on public safety, Mine Creek Greenway relocation, GoRaleigh, TOD/BRT, Missing Middle, and housing and homelessness
So it’s easy to apologize. But to mean it is something else. An apology without meaningful action to correct a wrong, is not only insincere, even disingenuous, but hypocritical and does not represent the best interests of Raleigh.
Highlights from work session and afternoon session
Let’s just stop doing the things that will require more apologies and reparations. Let’s stop demolishing our historic black neighborhoods.
Wouldn’t that be something to celebrate? As part of the initial team working to get this resolution in front of City Council and approved, we had hoped to see this Resolution adopted for Juneteenth in 2022. I think Juneteenth 2023 is now time for the City of Raleigh to adopt the Reparative Justice Resolution and begin the work the resolution asks.
Just a few weeks ago, Durham City Council took another step forward in their calls for reparation efforts as they voted unanimously to call for national reparations in order to start closing the wealth gap for its Black communities. To make up for all of the missed...
I attended Livable Raleigh’s recent webinar on Raleigh’s 2020 Affordable Housing Bond to educate myself on our city’s affordable housing needs and the upcoming $80 million bond package that will be on the November 3rd ballot. Admittedly, housing is not my area of...
Unless you act, voters will be forced to guess what the bond is for, because you will have failed to tell them. Specifically, how will the $80 million help Raleigh residents with the greatest need for safe, affordable housing?