Since March of 2022, the Community Reparations Commission has been working to establish short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations for consideration by the City of Asheville and Buncombe County Government. On Saturday, Oct. 7, a Community Reparations Summit will be held, providing an opportunity for the public to hear directly from the impact focus areas of criminal justice, economic development, education, housing, and health and wellness and provide feedback on their draft recommendations. The event will also feature keynote speaker George Fatheree, who helped return $20 million to the descendants of the owners of Bruce’s Beach, a popular California waterfront property, after it was wrongly taken from them in the 1920s.
“Our Community Reparations Commission has been hard at work, and we’re excited to be able to take this opportunity to lift up their work while also making sure it’s representative of our community’s wishes,” said Dr. Noreal Armstrong, Buncombe County’s Chief Equity & Human Rights Officer.
The Community Reparations Summit will be held from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7 at the UNC Asheville Sherrill Center, 227 Campus Drive, Asheville. Parking and admission are free, but attendance is limited and registration is required. Click here to register.
The Community Reparations Summit is hosted by the City of Asheville, Buncombe County Government, the UNC Asheville Department of Education, and the UNC Asheville Africana Studies Program.
“We are at a critical juncture in the historic work that’s being undertaken in Asheville and Buncombe County,” said Brenda Mills, the City of Asheville’s Director of Equity and Inclusion. “From our keynote speaker to our impact focus areas, this summit will be a day to celebrate, reflect, and chart our path ahead, and we look forward to our community helping us advance our reparations work.”
Leading up to the Community Reparations Summit, UNC Asheville will host two free movie nights:
- “Black in Asheville” on Monday Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m. followed by a discussion with filmmaker Todd Gragg
- “The Big Payback” on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 6:30 p.m.
Both movies will be shown at the Mullen & James Humanities Hall, 600 Theatre Lane, Woodfin on the campus of UNC Asheville. Doors will open at 5:45 p.m., and free parking will be available. Food trucks will be available in the parking lot for moviegoers beginning at 5 p.m.