Last night at Council: Reparations commission gets an extension, vote on River Arts apartments delayed

The Community Reparations Commission, the body charged with addressing the harms of systemic racism, will continue its work in Asheville and Buncombe County through February. At last night’s Asheville City Council meeting, the joint city-county commission received the greenlight. In its two years, the commission passed 39 recommendations for the city and county – from a Black-led economic development center to no-cost health insurance for Black residents. Last December, the commission asked for an eight-month extension, but the city and county only agreed to extend it through June. In a presentation to Council on Tuesday, Commission Chair Dewana Little spoke to the time-consuming nature of the work. “All the trauma, all the harm, all the perpetuation on Black people. The disenfranchisement. It didn’t happen in two years. It happened over hundreds of years,” she said. The group faced delays for several reasons, including a turnover in project managers and difficulties accessing data and historical research necessary to guide their work. The commission has also been working steadily to engage with Black people who are unaware of the reparations process, Little said. Council member Maggie Ullman said that the commission should have as much time as it needs. “I just continue...