North Carolina county joins Asheville with vote for reparations

Asheville, Buncombe County
Asheville, Buncombe County(Source: WYFF)
Updated: Aug. 6, 2020 at 12:24 AM EDT
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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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