PROBLEMATIC
Summary: See our updates on the other reparations thread.
Asheville has dissolved the Community Reparations Commission, and has promised future “updates” on the process, but has given no indication of when such updates will be offered.
The facts: The City of Asheville passed a Reparations Resolution in 2020, calling for the formation of a Community Reparations Commission (CRC) that would make short, medium, and long-term recommendations for policy changes. The CRC was formed in 2022, completed its recommendations in 2024, and has now concluded its work and been dissolved. The City issued a statement on October 15, 2025, declaring that “City staff will review the recommendations to determine which can be advanced for implementation as City initiatives. Updates will be shared as this review process progresses.” No timeline for the review process or future City action were announced.
Our Assessment: We find the lack of a timetable for the next phase of the reparations process deeply problematic.
The City made sweeping promises to repair harm when it initiated this process five years ago. Are the City’s leaders prepared to fulfill those promises? And if they aren’t, are they willing to take accountability for the ways this process hasn’t lived up to the promises made?
The predictable hostility of the federal Justice Department to the prospect of reparations obviously complicates the decision-making process, as there is the very real risk (referenced by Dr. Dwight Mullen in this Asheville Watchdog article) that reparations funding could be drained by lengthy legal battles. On the other hand, the legal teams from the City and County have been deeply engaged with this process from the start, anticipating these kinds of legal challenges and steering the CRC to draft recommendations that would hold up under just this kind of attack. We were often concerned that this legal analysis was excessively restrictive, giving the CRC too limited a scope to make recommendations that could truly be called “reparations.” But the CRC went along and followed the lead of the City and County attorneys, working within those conservative parameters for protection from just this kind of repercussion. They did their part. Now we wonder: will the City and County do theirs?
Asheville got national acclaim in 2020 for its bold promise to deliver reparations to local Black residents. Now the time has come for them to boldly announce what they plan to do – or not do – to fulfill that promise. A vague promise that a staff process is underway and future updates will be offered, without any projections of how long that will take, is not enough.
(You can read our earlier assessment and call to action “Asheville and Buncombe County need to take action on the reparations recommendations” here.)
Things to do: We invited you to join us in reaching out to the Asheville City Council and City Manager, asking them to share a timeline for the future of this process, so that the community has some idea of when they will be publicly taking action on the 39 recommendations presented to them in June 2024.
REPORT BACK STATUS
Resolved
Report Back
Total GAP Supporter Actions Taken: 19
Recipients and Responses:
Asheville City Council
- Mayor Esther Manheimer: No response
- Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley: No response
- City Council Member Bo Hess: No response
- City Council Member Kim Roney: No response
- City Council Member Maggie Ullman: No response
- City Council Member Sage Turner: No response
- City Council Member Sheneika Smith: No response
Statement released by Asheville City on 10/15/2025 regarding reparations
At its meeting last night, Asheville City Council voted to formally dissolve the Community Reparations Commission. Established to develop recommendations addressing the lasting impacts of systemic harm, the Commission concluded its work after several years of research, discussion, and community engagement.
In total, the Commission produced 39 recommendations, each developed and approved through Impact Focus Area (IFA) workgroups focused on criminal justice, economic development, education, health and wellness, and housing. These recommendations were presented separately to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners and the Asheville City Council.
With the Commission’s work now complete, City staff will review the recommendations to determine which can be advanced for implementation as City initiatives. Updates will be shared as this review process progresses.
The City of Asheville extends its appreciation to the members of the Community Reparations Commission for their dedication and to community members for their ongoing engagement throughout this process.
Stay Informed:
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