Across several states around America, there has been a push to delve into the historical impacts chattel slavery has had on the nation and people who descended from slaves who still live in the United States. In the Empire State, the New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies was created in 2023 after the New York State Legislature passed a law to examine reparations and address the long-term harms of slavery and its impact on African American New Yorkers going back to the early 1600s.
This commission, which started its work after Governor Hochul signed the bill into law last year, has been having meetings across the state to begin its research.
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One of those meetings is happening in Western New York, and the Buffalo community is invited to review the work that has been done so far, offer input into what should be considered, and make suggestions and ideas about what New York State should do to repair some of the damage that America did to a section of its citizenry.
When Is The Buffalo Meeting?
The New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies has been holding meetings across the state, and there is a meeting scheduled to happen in Buffalo on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at Elim Christian Fellowship Church, 70 Chalmers Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14214.
There is a hearing that is scheduled to start at 5:30 PM. Then, there will be a public forum that will give people the opportunity to share personal thoughts and suggestions on what slavery has done to the descendants of the Enslaved and African Americans in the Empire State.
The meeting theme is Harms of Slavery in Buffalo, NY, and the community is invited to participate in this conversation.
Why Are Reparations Being Discussed In New York State?
According to a report that the New York City Comptroller issued, there are serious disparities in net household wealth, home values, retirement savings, investment income, and student debt among different racial groups that live and work across New York State.
From redlining to school segregation, from public health inequity to discriminatory policing and judicial practices, the city and state have both seen their share of de facto and de jure practices that helped white families build wealth while preventing Black families from doing the same.
-Brad Lander, New York City Comptroller
Office of the New York City Comptroller
The report concludes that New York’s history of institutional racial discrimination is a primary driver of the gaps between different ethnic groups and that the state should take steps to fix it.
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Given that New York is one of the leading states in America, officials and citizens across the Empire State think it’s important that New York do the research and take the steps necessary to take action.
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