The mission of the Racial Equity Commission is “to educate, provide leadership and facilitate on-going equitable engagement with the immediate and greater Carrboro community.”
Carrboro’s population is listed as around 21,500 people. Roughly 29 percent of that population, however, is non-white.
The Carrboro Town Council approved the Racial Equity Commission on January 19 for reparations for Black Carrboro. Last summer, the council passed a resolution in response to the national movement against racial injustice, which included plans to form this commission.
As part of the resolution the town will apologize and make amends for Carrboro’s participation and sanctioning of the Enslavement of Black people, as well as its enforcement of segregation and discriminatory practices.
Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle said she hopes the commission can work towards a more racially equitable Carrboro.
“They could look at short range, medium range and long term recommendations making progress toward kinda repairing the damage we have from public and private systemic racism,” Lavelle said.
The commission is made up of eight Carrboro residents with four representatives coming from the community and the other four coming from town staff. Two members will have lived in the community for at least 20 years and two for at least 10 years.
“We really want people who have that lived experience being a person of color in our community,” Lavelle said.
The town council wants the commission to create a community in which political, economic, social and cultural institutions are no longer predicted and influenced by race.
“We can empower community members to kinda help us look at our town programs, our town policies, look at what’s gone on in our town community for years and give us advice or next steps on how to move forward to address a lot of this,” Lavelle said.
You can find links to learn more about Carrboro’s Racial Equity Commission on the town’s website.
