Two members of Detroit Reparations Task Force suddenly resigned over the weekend, citing a lack of progress. Two individuals from Detroit’s Reparations Task Force, one of whom was a co-chair, resigned due to their increasing frustration with the lack of progress and absence of a broad strategic vision, less than a year after the group was established.
Member of Detroit Reparations Task Force suddenly resigned. According to The News Reports, Co-chair Lauren Hood mentioned that “both she and task force member Maurice Weeks had contemplated stepping down for several months while advocating for support from Detroit’s City Council”.
The resignations took place during the task force’s meeting on Saturday, marking the group’s first public gathering since August.
Hood stated that the group of people has diverse perspectives on the concept of reparations and lacks a unified strategic vision.
She expressed gratitude for the progress being made with the assistance of partners who can help organize available information for decision-making. However, he emphasized the urgent need for a clear strategy to engage the public in this endeavor.
According to the city, the Reparations Task Force, which was established in April of the previous year, has been given the task of devising recommendations for housing and economic development aimed at addressing the past discrimination faced by Detroit’s black community.
Hood expressed her dissatisfaction with the scarcity of meetings and public platforms to learn about the task force’s progress.
Hood explained that the reason for holding a public meeting was because it had been a few months since the previous one, and it was an opportunity to update the community.
The concerns raised in the last meeting had not been addressed, leading to a question of how long to continue on the same path without seeing any changes.
In response to the nationwide and California-wide efforts for reparations, task forces have been established. These efforts gained momentum after the death of George Floyd and the subsequent protests and riots in 2020.
The Reparations Task Force in California has recently approved a plan recommending compensating black residents who are descendants of slaves or early African Americans with payments of up to $1.2 million. This plan will now be reviewed by California lawmakers.
Regarding Detroit, voters who supported the Reparations Task Force two years ago will have to be patient to determine if the group will present any proposals.
The task force has been allotted a budget of $350,000 and a timeframe of 18 months to provide a written report to the city council outlining its discoveries and suggestions, as reported by The Detroit News.
The board, which initially consisted of 13 members, now only has 10 members due to the resignation of Hood and Week, as well as the passing of Rev. JoAnn Watson in July.
Hood emphasized the significance of self-improvement and fostering human connections as crucial steps in repairing ourselves internally before undertaking external designs and citywide initiatives.
However, it appeared that not everyone shared the same understanding
