Reparations Task Force
Detroit City Council18100 Meyers Rd Detroit, MI 48235 (Directions)
Northwest Activities Center
This meeting will now be held virtually, in light of the pending snow storm.
Check the source website for additional information
Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Detroit - MI Documenters Team
The task force is still collecting survey feedback, and seeking an extension on the reparations report. Public commenters remind residents that claim forms for proceeds from Wayne County tax foreclosures between 2015 and 2020 must be filed by March 31.
I will be live reporting the Detroit City Council’s Reparations Task Force today at 2pm for #DetroitDocumenters
12:03 PM Feb 15, 2025 CST
Looks like they’re getting ready to get started soon. I’ll keep you updated
Task Force member Cidney Calloway called the meeting to order despite being without a quorum so they can get through some of the items that don’t require one.
First off, Jamon Jordan is giving a presentation for the Task Force, abbreviated from a longer presentation
These, according to Jamon, are significant local movers in the movement for reparations
Mr. Jordan seems to have about a two-hour presentation here, and he has to cut it down to about 20 minutes, so it’s going by at a clip. Right now he’s discussing the musical history of the city
After spending some time on Maurice King and his Wolverines and the later contribution of Motown Records
After talking briefly about Detroit’s contribution to the Underground railroad, the roses station concluded and the Task Force is now moving on to its business.
I think it behooves me to note, in light of the presentation and the purpose of the Task Force, that the Nation of Islam is listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an antisemitic, anti-LGBTQ, and far right hate group.
https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/nation-islam/
SPLC notes the “organization’s lengthy record of antisemitism, homophobia, and connections to prominent white supremacists.”
Having approved the previous meeting’s minutes and agenda, the Task Force is moving on to updates on its work
The Task Force has been holding public sessions (which we have reported on) and produced a community survey which, so far, has gathered over 700 responses. If you would like to participate, there’s a QR code!
Having framed the report and hired a writer, the final report is forthcoming , and the Task Force is requesting an extension of the deadline to June so that the report can be finished in as complete and polished a state as possible.
In response to a question, Calloway noted that they are not releasing the name of the report writer because their contract has not yet been finalized, which raises some questions about stated progress.
Calloway noted that the update presentation will be given to the full City Council on the 25th of this month, and calls on attendees to contact their local reps to ask that the extension be approved and, later, that the report be accepted.
Now a presentation on the state of homelessness and housing in the city, and the continuing difficulty faced by homeless residents in finding any kind of accommodation, even substandard or emergency housing.
A young mother in the city found herself without a place to sleep safely with her small children, and her mother. Tragically the children did not survive the night. This story was told as an illustration of the state of housing in Detroit.
First commenter recommended a sit-in at Mary Sheffield’s office
The commenter also reminded people about the Michigan Supreme Court decision that mandated money be paid to people whose homes were foreclosed. Learn more from our very own Koby Levin and Eric Sabree:
https://outliermedia.org/wayne-country-eric-sabree-reclaim-money/
The commenter also said that the deadline for applying only applies in (mostly Black) Wayne County, and not the surrounding (mostly white) counties. I’ll have to check on that but it sounds like something they’d do.
The next commenter says that the situation for Black people in Detroit has gotten worse over that last 11 years
Some more info on the terrible tragedy of the young mother:
https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2025/02/15/hear-from-the-mother-of-2-children-who-died-in-detroit-casino-parking-garage/
And for more info on the recent Supreme Court decision on government equity theft
https://www.mackinac.org/pressroom/2024/unanimous-michigan-supreme-court-rules-government-equity-theft-harm-is-retroactive
Caller recommended universal basic income and free genetic testing for the descendants of those who were enslaved so they can discover their true ethnic origins.
Task Force member took a moment to thank Ayanna Pressley for reintroducing a bill regarding reparations (HR 40) into the United States Congress, as Rep.John Conyers did in the 1990s
The next commenter expressed dismay at what she sees as mission creep in the reparations movement, specifically pointing out that reparations are not a minority issue or even a Black issue but an issue regarding specifically those who descended from people who were enslaved.
The same commenter lamented the dearth of marketing for the Task Force and said she was “disappointed” in the Task Force
Caller promoted Detroit Reparations Awareness Day, with a demonstration at the airport on the 25th
The next Caller is a rep for Palo Alto for Reparations and expressed their support for the efforts in Detroit. They go on to emphasize any program must be “lineage based”
They also criticized the Congressional Black Caucus, calling their recent efforts on reparations “a farce”, noting that no such bills were forthcoming under friendlier administrations when something might actually pass. They say the current efforts are a stunt, and not actually meant to succeed.
Several commenters have urged the Task Force to ask for a longer extension than the currently planned petition
Having run out of time, the Task Force postponed two presentations and ended the meeting at 4:03pm
Well folks, this closes my coverage of the Detroit city Council’s Reparations Task Force meeting for February 15th. Learn more about our coverage of local meetings at https://documenters.org
‼️IMPORTANT: If you believe anything in the coverage today is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@outliermedia.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line
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Agency Information
Detroit City Council
The Detroit City Council is the legislative body of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The Council is responsible for the creation of local laws—called ordinances. Additionally they pass resolutions, motions, and the proposed city budget. The full-time council is required to meet every business day for at least 10 months of the year, with at least eight of these meetings occurring at a location besides city hall. The council may convene for special meetings at the call of the mayor or at least four members of council. Areas of responsibility for the Budget, Finance and Audit Committee include, Budget, Finance and the Auditor General.
City Council members are elected on the same cycle as the Mayor and will be elected in 2021. Seven members represent the seven council districts, while two members are elected at-large.