The Greenbelt Reparations Commission (GRC) will hold its second public forum on Saturday, October 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Greenbelt Library auditorium. The forum will update residents on the progress of the commission and will hear thoughts on this issue from the community. The forum is open to all Greenbelt residents.
The GRC was approved by vote in 2021 by Greenbelt Resolution 2094 to make recommendations for reparations for Indigenous and African American residents of Greenbelt who have experienced harms. After the Greenbelt City Council interviewed and appointed 21 voluntary commissioners, the group began meeting in February 2023. Since then the GRC has identified its goals, organized a governing structure, established appropriate subcommittees to address its mission, interviewed local historians to gain background on the history of the area and the New Deal construction of Greenbelt, interviewed residents (ongoing), interviewed indigenous representatives and identified areas needing expert research and development that will move the GRC into Phase II of in-depth research. Phase II will include legal reviews of codes and ordinances, genealogical examinations of those who worked on the initial construction of Greenbelt and exploring the employment history of the city.
The GRC wants to inform the community on their activities and progress and to hear from residents in order to foster dialogue and exchange ideas.
What Are Reparations?
In relation to the work being done by the GRC: Reparations is a process of repairing and healing from the harms that have been inflicted on African Americans and Indigenous People by government laws, policies and practices of sectors that benefited from the injustices such as banks, corporations, insurers, educational institutions, health systems and religious groups.
For those who can’t attend on Saturday, the commission will be hosting more public forums in the coming months. Email the commission at myoung@greenbeltmd.gov for further information.