New York City Lawmakers Approve Bill to Study Slavery and Reparations

09/20/2024

New York City’s City Council has passed legislation to study the city's role in slavery and explore reparations for descendants of enslaved people. If signed into law by Mayor Eric Adams, the legislation will create a Truth, Healing, and Reconciliation process, led by the NYC Commission on Racial Equity (CORE), to examine the historical and ongoing effects of 200+ years of legally sanctioned slavery in the city.  

The bills signed include introduction 242-A establishing CORE to study the City’s involvement in slavery and its legacies, and introduction 279-A, which would require CORE to collaborate with experts and consider reparative measures for slavery and racial injustices. 

The legislation package also mandates the installation of an informational sign at the site of the city’s first slave market, which operated between 1711 and 1762 on Wall Street.  

The report on reparations is expected by 2025, with recommendations due in 2027. 

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