>> Cathy: EARLIER THIS YEAR, ST. PAUL JOINED A GROWING NUMBER OF CITIES ACROSS THE U.S. PURSUING RACIAL REPARATIONS.
WHAT MAKES THE CITY’S APPROACH UNIQUE IS A COMMISSION THAT IS A PART OF OFFICIAL CITY GOVERNMENT.
THE 11-MEMBER COMMISSION WILL ADVISE THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR REGARDING ISSUES OF INEQUITY FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN DESCENDANTS OF SLAVERY.
THE GROUP IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ITS WORK THIS SUMMER.
MAYOR MELVIN CARTER JOINS US WITH AN UPDATE.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON THE HOW AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU MUCH.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> Cathy: THE PLURALITY OF AMERICANS EVIDENTLY DON’T BELIEVE THAT DESCENDANTS OF SLAVES DESERVE REPARATIONS.
WHY DOES THE CITY OF ST. PAUL THINK SO?
>> WELL, I THINK IT’S UNDENIABLE THAT EVEN STILL TODAY IN 2023 EVERY ASPECT OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY INCLUDING WHERE WEALTH IS CONCENTRATED AND WHERE POVERTY IS CONCENTRATED IS HEAVILY INFLUENCED IF NOT STILL SHAPED BY HE HUNDREDS OF YEARS DURING WHICH WEALTH WAS CREATED THROUGH FREE, FORCED LABOR IN OUR COUNTRY.
IT’S PRETTY — ONE OF OUR MOST BASIC CONCEPTS N AMERICAN SOCIETY, IF I INFLICT HARM UPON YOU AND IT ENRICHES ME THERE’S PROBABLY A DEBT OWED BACK TO YOU.
SO IT’S SOMETHING THAT WE’RE INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT THIS COMMISSION KIND OF BRINGS BACK RECOMMENDATIONS.
IT’S SOMETHING WE’RE INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT GETS SHAPED AS A POTENTIAL FUTURE FOR ST. PAUL.
>> Cathy: THIS COULD BE A STATE EFFORT, SOME PEOPLE THINK IT SHOULD BE A FEDERAL EFFORT BECAUSE AS YOU BROUGHT UP A LOT OF THE RACIST FEDERAL POLICIES CREATED THIS WEALTH GAP.
BUT YOU’RE TALKING AT THE CITY LEVEL.
>> WE AGREE THERE SHOULD BE A CONVERSATION AT THE CITY LEVEL AND THE STATE LEVEL.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE GET TROLLED ON ON SOCIAL MEDIA I SEE PEOPLE EVERY NOW SAYING THERE WASN’T MUCH SLAVERY IN MINNESOTA, WHICH IS KIND OF A SELF-ANSWERING QUESTION, IF WE’RE SAYING THERE WASN’T MUCH, WE’RE ACKNOWLEDGING THERE IS SOME, AND INDEED THE DRED SCOTTT DECISION ONE OF THE MOST HORRENDOUS DECISIONS IN THE SUPREME COURT HISTORY, THERE WAS AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT THERE WAS SOME AND WE THINK EVERYBODY SO SHOULD DO THEIR PART.
>> Eric: HOW WOULD CITY DETERMINE WHO’S ELIGIBLE AND WHO ISN’T?
>> AGAIN, THOSE ARE THINGS WE DON’T REALLY KNOW YET, THAT’S PART OF THE QUESTIONS WE’RE ASKING THE REPARATIONS COMMITTEE TO THINK THROUGH AND HELP US HAVE A CITY-WIDE CONVERSATION, PLANTING A CITY-WIDE CONVERSATION TO SAY WHAT ROLE DOES THE CITY HAVE, WHAT RESPONSIBILITY DOES THE CITY HAVE, I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, ACTING IN THE MEANTIME BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW WELL WE’VE BUILT PROGRAMS LIKE OUR INHERITANCE FUND WHICH IS DESIGNED TO HELP DESCENDANTS OF OLD RONDO RENOVATE OR PURCHASE A HOME, COLLEGE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS FOR EVERY CHILD BORN IN OUR CITY.
THIS IS PART OF OUR EFFORT TO ELIMINATE POVERTY BY MAKING SURE FAMILIES HAVE CASH IN THEIR POCKETS.
>> Eric: THIS IS NOT A HIT AND RUN COMMISSION, THIS WILL BE INGRAINED IN CITY GOVERNMENT?
>> IT’S A LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION ESTABLISHED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO LIKE I SAID IT WILL BE LONG-TERM WORK, I DON’T NECESSARILY EXPECT SOMETHING IMMEDIATE FROM THAT, I THINK WE NEED A VERY THOUGHTFUL AND INTENSE PROCESS TO DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF RECOMMENDATIONS THEY MAY BRING FORWARD MOVING FORWARD.
>> Cathy: YOU MENTIONED THE RESIDENTS OF OLD RONDO, COULD THIS ALSO INVOLVE THEM?
THERE ARE ALREADY PROGRAMS FOR THEM BUT COULD THERE BE REPARATIONS FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO LOST THEIR FAMILY HOMES OR THEIR BUSINESSES AS 94 EXPANDED?
>> POTENTIALLY, AND IN TRUTH THERE IS A PROGRAM FOR FOR DESCENDANTS OF OLD RONDO WHICH IS JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS OLD, WE JUST LAST MONTH RELEASED FUNDS FOR THE FIRST RECIPIENT OF THAT PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE A HOME.
SO THERE IS A HOME, IT IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING, A HARM FOR WHICH WE’VE APOLOGIZED FOR FOR DECADES WHICH WE’VES RECOGNIZED AS A HARM FOR DECADES WHICH STUDIES SHOW UP TO ABOUT $150 MILLION IN TODAY’S WEALTH WAS STRIPPED FROM OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN OLD RONDO, BUT WE’VE NEVER BROUGHT RESOURCES.
SO WE’VE JUST BROUGHT RESOURCES TO BEAR TO THAT JUST IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
>> Eric: SLAVERY IS THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT HERE SO IF YOU’RE LATINO OR ASIAN OR NATIVE AMERICAN, THEY DON’T FIT UNDER THE KIND OF THIS IS REPARATION FORESLAVERY, IS THAT FAIR TO SAY?
>> AGAIN TYPICALLY SPEAKING WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT REPARATIONS IN AMERICA MUCH OF THAT DOES CENTER AROUND DESCENDANTS OF AMERICAN SLAVERY, PARTIALLY THAT’S BECAUSE INDIVIDUALS IN OUR NATIVE COMMUNITIES, INDIVIDUALS IN OUR JAPANESE COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS IN SO MANY OF OUR OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE RECEIVED PAYMENTS AND REPARATIONS FOR SOME OF THE HARMS THAT OUR COUNTRY HAS INFLICTED UPON DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES BUT, AGAIN, WE’RE REALLY OPEN-ENDED AND I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THOSE 11 FOLKS ARE AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DON’T DO IS TRY TO BACK FOLKS INTO A CORNER WHEN THEY COME TOGETHER TO BE A PANEL OR OMMITTEE FOR US, WE REALLY WANT THEIR BEST THINKING.
SO THE TRUTH IS I DON’T AVE THE FINAL ANSWERS TO MANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS AND THAT’S WHY WE’RE BRINGING FOLKS TOGETHER TO THINK THEM THROUGH WITH US.
>> Cathy: IS THERE A TIMELINE ON THIS?
>> I DON’T — I’M NOT SURE IF THERE’S A KIND OF A NAILED DOWN TIMELINE AS FAR AS A DELIVERABLE FROM THEM.
MY GOAL S AND MY HOPE AND, AGAIN, THIS PROCESS IS REALLY BEING LED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, MY HOPE IS THAT THAT GROUP OF FOLKS WILL BE INCREDIBLY DELIBERATIVE AND INCREDIBLY THOUGHTFUL IN THEIR PROCESS.
AGAIN, IN THE MEANTIME WHAT OUR ADMINISTRATION IS DOING IS MOVING FORWARD INHERITANCE FUND FOR DESCENDANTS OF OLD RONDO, GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT, COLLEGE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS AND OFFICE OF FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO GET DOLLARS IN THEIR HANDS AND