New York City has announced the allocation of taxpayer funds exceeding $200,000 towards a reparations initiative aimed at addressing the historical impacts of slavery. The initiative, overseen by the NYC Commission on Racial Equity (CORE), will disburse the funds to selected community groups. These groups will be instrumental in conducting community organizing, collecting truth testimonies, and collaborating with researchers on a citywide reparations study.
The CORE's efforts mark a significant investment in reckoning with the city's historical connections to slavery, despite New York State's abolition of slavery in 1827 and its role in the Civil War. Linda Tigani, CORE Chair and Executive Director, hailed the initiative as a crucial step in advancing reparations in New York City. Tigani emphasized the importance of including and resourcing community organizations to ensure that the reparations efforts are representative of lived experiences and local input.
According to CORE documents, the commission plans to award grants to up to 13 nonprofits, community groups, or minority and women-owned businesses. With individual grants potentially reaching up to $20,000, the total expenditure could be as high as $260,000, though there is some inconsistency in figures released by CORE. The commission has not provided clarification regarding the final amount or explained the discrepancy.
Starting as soon as next month, the selected groups will investigate the definitions of healing, truth, and reconciliation for communities affected by racism and the long-term legacies of chattel slavery, Jim Crow laws, and what the commission describes as the broader legacy of slavery.
Despite the commission's intentions, the plan has encountered criticism for overlooking New York's historical status as a free state and its contributions to the abolition of slavery nationwide. NYC Council Minority Leader David Carr described the commission as an affront to residents without ties to slavery and warned of the potential for the program to devolve into a boondoggle benefiting special interest groups instead of the general taxpayer population.
The program's eligibility criteria also face scrutiny, with Queens Councilwoman Joann Ariola questioning the feasibility of determining reparations-related work eligibility. Ariola criticized the approach as politically motivated and an unnecessary expenditure of public funds.
CORE, established following a 2022 citywide referendum initiated by a racial justice panel during the tenure of former Mayor Bill de Blasio, functions independently from the city government with a budget of $4.8 million. The commission's 15 commissioners, appointed by the mayor, City Council, comptroller, and public advocate, serve staggered three-year terms.
The current Mayor, sworn in earlier this month, has expressed support for the reparations movement, suggesting New York City's involvement in the slave trade necessitates reconciliation efforts. However, critics see the new grants as another instance of ideological spending that disregards historical context and taxpayers' interests.
