The Reparations Task Force started its first day yesterday hearing ways to address how to compensate those who lost their homes due to the city overcharging them in property taxes, the still-destructive effects of the subprime loan crisis, the still-felt ripple effects of razing the Black Bottom neighborhood for a freeway, and taxing wealthy developers to contribute back to the community.
The task force was given a $350,000 budget and as assignment to write a report on its finding in about 18 months. The group will use the funds to conduct listening tours around the city to hear from Black residents. However, the task force has no legislative power, the Detroit News reported.
Another question facing the task force is how to fund the reparations. One attendee, founder of Detroit Is Different media group Khary Davis, stated that taxing the developers could go toward that effort.
Detroit joins St. Paul, Minnesota, Evanston, Illinois, and the state of California in amending the systemic harms Black people have suffered.
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