The St. Louis Reparations Committee issued a report calling for the descendants of slaves living in the city to receive direct cash payments of $25,000 as compensation for the effects of “systematic racism.”
The report also urges the city to issue a formal apology for its role in slavery, arguing that such an apology would be the first step in acknowledging the “pain, suffering and disenfranchisement” Black people have endured for centuries. In addition to cash payments, it is recommended that tax breaks be provided to beneficiaries so that they will not face additional financial hurdles.
Regardless of the financial trouble this may cause, St. Louis Mayor Connor Kerrigan’s spokesman responded to the report’s release and praised the importance of the committee’s work and the need to repair, what he called, the generational damages caused by slavery:
“We appreciate the hard work of the Reparations Committee and recognize the need to repair the generational damage created by the legacy of slavery of chattel and centuries of racist practices and policies at both the national and local levels (…) We are conducting a full analysis of the report to see which of these additional recommendations are possible and feasible.”
Expungement of criminal records related to racial injustice
The report also includes additional proposals such as creating monuments and museums commemorating the history of slaves and establishing partnerships with Black organizations to carry out these projects. It also suggested reforming the police department, increasing civilian oversight and expunging criminal records related to racial injustice.
The chair of the reparations committee, Kayla Reed, emphasized that these recommendations are an essential step in addressing, what she described as, generations of systemic racism and economic exclusion:
“The release of this report marks a critical moment for our city (…) These recommendations offer a path to healing and justice by addressing generations of systemic racism and economic exclusion. If we implement them, we can begin to close the racial wealth gap and build a St. Louis where all residents have the opportunity to thrive.”
This report follows the lead of other states such as New York and California, which have also implemented studies or bills related to reparations and slavery.