MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC)- Reparations—the word that deeply divides our nation.
After the Shelby County Commission approved $5 million in 2023 to study reparations, Tennessee Republicans immediately tried to ban the effort at the state level but were unsuccessful.
More than a year later, how has that $5 million been spent? Action News 5 learned this week that most of the money has been distributed to half a dozen non-profits across Memphis and Shelby County. These groups are now tasked with developing programs and data that will help narrow the racial wealth gap.
“Ultimately, we want this to be as widespread as possible,” pastor and activist Rev. Dr. Earle Fisher of Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church in Whitehaven told Action News 5.
Fisher is a driving force behind the study. His church hosted the first meeting of the racial reconciliation ad-hoc committee, consisting of community stakeholders from the Black Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, along with members from the fields of mental healthcare, education, and criminal justice.
“I think people have an underdeveloped understanding of what reparations is,” said Rev. Fisher, “there’s some valuable information that is needed so that local governments can initiate programs and put together policies that help bridge the racial wealth gap.”
While Fisher said he supports descendants of slaves receiving direct payments to address centuries of economic disparity, he said reparations are also designed to repair long-standing social and systemic inequities.
According to the 2023 Memphis Poverty Fact Sheet put together annually by researchers at the University of Memphis, the median income for Black people in Memphis is $42,000. For White people, it’s $77,000, creating a staggering racial wealth gap of $35,000.
The Shelby County Commission engaged in a contentious debate in February 2023 as commissioners discussed the resolution to green-light the study.
“This resolution is un-American in a lot of ways,” said Commissioner Brandon Marshall.
“Don’t dare say I’m un-American because I support this,” replied Commissioner Erika Sugarmon, “Don’t do that.”
“My people are dying on the daily, that’s why I support this,” added Commissioner Miska Clay Bibbs
The commission approved the resolution with all eight of the Black commissioners voting in favor of it, the white commissioners either voted it down or abstained.
State GOP lawmakers then tried to ban the study of reparations in Tennessee but backed off after Rev. Fisher mobilized a nationwide petition.
Commissioner Edmund Ford Junior sponsored a resolution in June establishing a grant program to dispense the funding to non-profits, including RISE Memphis, Black Wall Street and Start Co.
The groups are now in the first phase of studying disparities in the five pillars of inequity:
- Housing
- Economic development
- Financial literacy
- Mental healthcare
- Criminal justice reform
“We have organizations with great leaders,” Commissioner Ford told Action News 5, “and we’ve got to use a data-driven mindset to get the data-driven results.”
Despite a Pew Research Center survey showing 80% of Americans oppose reparations for slavery, Memphis and Shelby County leaders press forward, determined to try and fix social and systemic inequities and promote generational wealth for Black families.
“Ultimately, that’s what this is,” said Rev. Fisher, “an initiative that provides information that gives data that could be used for policy-making. That’s ultimately what this is.”
The $5 million that Shelby County is using to fund the reparations study comes from the federal government’s ARPA revenue replacement funds, money sent to local governments during COVID.
$4 million goes to six grant recipients and $1 million to the Division of Community Services.
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