St. Louis Reparations Commission requests feedback on the draft of its final harm report

After 18 months of listening to testimonies from Black St. Louisans about past racial harms and hearing about the history of slavery and racial discrimination in St. Louis from experts, the St. Louis Reparations Commission concluded its last meeting Monday night with a draft of its final harm report. The eight-member volunteer commission said the draft took many days and man-hours to complete, but the group still needs feedback from the community to ensure that the final report reflects what Black St. Louisans have been requesting as forms of repair. The final draft includes an overview of the commission’s work and recommendations for recognition and redistribution. The issue areas that will be addressed are public health, neighborhood and built environment, state violence and legal reform, housing and land, education, economic justice and wealth creation, and criminal justice and policing. Potential city sources for restitution and a breakdown of eligibility requirements for repayment are also included in the draft report. “I’m excited that you all will see the labor that we put into presenting what we hope is a powerful reflection of the story of St. Louis that really can be told by race,” commission Chair Kayla Reed said. The Missouri...