Blue City Committee Wants To Pay ‘Descendants’ Of Slaves $25,000, Asks City To Apologize For Role In Slavery

The St. Louis City Reparations Committee called for $25,000 in direct cash payments to descendants of slaves and is asking the city to formally apologize for its role in slavery, according to a report released Wednesday.

The report claims that black St. Louis residents who are descendants of slaves and affected by “systematic racism” should be compensated with cash payments while offering tax exemptions to keep residents from facing any financial hurdles regarding compensation. Following the cash payments, the commission also urged the city to issue a formal apology for its role in slavery, claiming it would be a stepping stone for recognizing the alleged longstanding “pain, suffering and disenfranchisement” it caused.

“We appreciate the hard work of the Reparations Committee, and we recognize the need to repair the generational harm created by the legacy of chattel slavery and centuries of racist practices and policies both nationally and locally,” Connor Kerrigan, a spokesperson for the mayor, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “We are conducting a full analysis of the report to see which of these further recommendations are possible and feasible.”

The report argues that the city should fund black landmarks while making partnerships with black organizations a priority to create a museum or memorial for enslaved people’s history.

Aside from slavery reparations, the report also claims that the police department should enact reforms, such as increasing civilian oversight and accountability in misconduct cases against the city’s black residents. Through the formal apology, the commission also asks the city to address the alleged use of force by law enforcement and the supposed “criminalization” of black people by erasing criminal records that are “related to systematic racial injustice,” like drug charges.

“The release of this report marks a critical moment for our city,” Chairperson of the Commission, Kayla Reed, said in a news release, according to FOX2Now. “These recommendations offer a path toward healing and justice, addressing generations of systemic racism and economic exclusion. If we implement them, we can begin to close the racial wealth gap and build a St. Louis where every resident has the opportunity to thrive.”

While the report provides the specific recommendations, no city funds have been used to implement the suggestions and they are not currently being put into effect, a spokesperson for the mayor shared with the DCNF.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill in September that would formally apologize for the state’s role in slavery, despite California having been a free state. The New York City Council also signed several pieces of legislation in September to develop a “reparations task force,” conducting a full slavery-related reparations study.

The St. Louis City Reparations Commission did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.