Now St Louis to make reparations: Commission launched in city where nearly half ... trends now
St. Louis is creating a commission to consider paying reparations to descendants of the victims of racist policies - following a lead set by cities in Illinois, California and Rhode Island, but raising interesting challenges in a struggling city of 300,000 where 45 percent of residents are black.
Tishaura Jones, the mayor of St. Louis, on Wednesday signed an executive order to create a nine-member volunteer commission to explore and recommend reparations.
'The people closest to the problems are closest to the solution,' said Jones.
'I look forward to reviewing this commission's work to chart a course that restores the vitality of black communities in our city after decades of disinvestment. We cannot succeed as a city if one half is allowed to fail.'
Tishaura Jones, the mayor of St. Louis, is seen on Thursday signing an executive order establishing a committee to study reparations
The committee will be comprised of nine volunteers: all must live in St. Louis, and their membership must comprise at least one member of the clergy, one attorney, a public health professional, civil rights advocate, youth activist, and academic
Those joining the committee must live in St. Louis, and each member must represent a different background, with at least one clergy member, attorney, public health professional, civil rights advocate, one youth and one person in academics.
The executive order describes the committee's work as: 'Establishing a community-driven commission to assess the history of slavery, segregation and other race-based harms in the City of St. Louis; explore the present-day manifestations of that history; and, ultimately, recommend a proposal to begin repairing the harms that have been inflicted.'
Nimrod Chapel Jr., president of the Missouri NAACP, said segregation and racism have 'without a doubt' harmed blacks in St. Louis and
