North Carolina county joins Asheville with vote for reparations
Updated: Aug. 6, 2020 at 12:24 AM EDT
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - A county in western North Carolina has joined the neighboring city of Asheville to apologize for its role in slavery and to take the rare step of supporting reparations for Black residents.
The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that Buncombe County officials passed the measure Tuesday night along party lines, with Democrats being in favor.
Similar to the one passed in Asheville last month, the county’s resolution does not call for direct payments.
It focuses instead on county efforts to prioritize racial equity.
Priorities include education gaps as well as disparities in the health care and justice systems.
Experts say that such resolutions are rare across the nation.
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