At its final meeting, Community Reparations Commission angles for an extension

The Community Reparations Commission had what might be its final meeting last night, despite the majority of the 25-member body expressing that it needs an extension to complete its work. Commission Chair Dewana Little said the group needs six more months “to implement the things that we feel are necessary in order to see reparations truly realized.” “We have not had the time and capacity to focus on the policies and procedures that maintain this perpetual system of harm to Black people,” she said at the commission’s July 15 meeting. “We do have programmatic things that could address some of the symptoms, but it doesn’t fix the problem.” The commission, formed in 2022, was tasked with the ambitious goal of correcting harms from systemic racism in Asheville and Buncombe County. In that time, it has passed 39 recommendations for the city and county – from a Black-led economic development center to no-cost health insurance for Black residents. In a presentation to be shared with Asheville City Council at its July 23 meeting, the commission said it needs a six-month extension, through January 2025. The commission cited difficulties accessing data and historical research of the policy, laws, and practices that continue...