Kalamazoo Commissioners Vote in Favor of Economic Reparations

We are truly living in historic times. Mark my words, we will see significant changes come out of this decade. I'm not just talking about the effects the pandemic will have. I'm speaking to the effect Black Lives Matter will have on taking the very necessary conversation of societal inequality further than its ever been; reparations. Recently, Kalamazoo County commissioners made the decision (with a 7-4 approval) to address economic repercussions of slavery. According to an article on MLive, the historic resolution the commissioners created on Tuesday, August 18th, with the guidance of Black leaders, will be known as the Kalamazoo County Commission on Economic Reparations and Opportunity for Descendants of enslaved Africans and Indigenous Blacks.

I don't want to get too excited. After all, it's early days, yet, and they haven't done anything. It's just the formation of a committee. But I do want to say to the 7 of the 11, take a bow. Especially taking in to consideration the recent violence in our beautiful city, and the very real threat that opposition has displayed, you 7 have committed to sitting in the discomfort of hard conversations to confront the disparities in housing, education, and criminal justice, and find resolution. It's beyond time, and you know that. I'm not being flippant when I say thanks for taking a stand in these uncertain times.