Olympia Mayor Pushes For Reparations Study In Washington

Olympia Mayor Dontae Payne By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium Olympia Mayor Dontae Payne is the latest person to escalate the issue of reparations for descendants of enslaved African people in the United States, as he recently drafted and signed a resolution unanimously passed by the Olympia City Council calling on the state of Washington and the United States government to create a commission to study and make recommendations about reparations for the descendants of enslaved African people. The resolution is the latest in a series of recommendations in the state to establish a commission to study reparations, including a unanimous vote by Washington State’s Democratic Party at their 2024 convention and a recent endorsement by the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs. Olympia is the first of Washington’s 281 cities to unanimously pass a resolution calling for a commission on reparations. The resolution asserts that reparations are a means of addressing systemic harm inflicted upon African Americans over centuries. It states, “Reparations are a process of repairing, healing, and restoring people injured because of their group identity and in violation of their fundamental human rights by governments, corporations, institutions, and families.” It identifies potential reparations measures, including direct...