The Orange County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution at its latest meeting apologizing for its government’s role in disenfranchising Black citizens and reaffirming its goals to address racial inequity.
Passed with a vote of 6-1, the motion takes no immediate action but voices support for various steps to provide reparations for Black residents affected by systemic racism. The resolution was one of the first votes held by the new county board, as two first-time commissioners were sworn in earlier Monday night.
Similar to motions passed earlier this year by North Carolina local governments in Asheville, Durham and Carrboro, the resolution states it is the first step in a larger plan to guide commissioners in the future to keep such policies in mind. In addition to pledging effort toward eliminating individual racism and systemic racism, Orange County said it would work to invest in Black students, business owners and communities.
Chair of the Board Renee Price and Commissioner Jean Hamilton led the effort in drafting the resolution approved on Monday. Hamilton, who is Black, said it is a good initial step to addressing many years of unjust treatment.
“A resolution like this is really important to remind us of American history and how it was built on the exploitation of people, especially African American people,” she said. “This exploitation that started over 400 years ago has really continued.”
Hamilton added approving this resolution only goes so far, saying she will be spending her time as a county commissioner working to make sure Orange County’s government is not perpetuating any systemic oppression.
“Resolutions are words,” she said, “and I think that [just] as important is what we all do, both as Orange Countians and individuals, to recognize and oppose systemic racism in this county.”
Commissioner Earl McKee voted against the resolution, the only board member to do so. While he said he supports the reasoning and goals of the resolution, he cited amendments included by Commissioner Sally Greene urging the federal government to adopt policies like financial payments to descendants of enslaved Africans and federally-funded living wage jobs for all citizens as the reasons he could not support the motion. McKee said he believes federal government-funded jobs for all would create a system where citizens are beholden to the government for their livelihood.
“I cannot support this resolution with this section in there,” said the commissioner. “Other than that, I have no issues with the resolution because it speaks to a need. It speaks to a need to address history, the present and the future. And if we don’t address the future at some point in time, then we’re not going to move from where we are today, which is a divided country.”
In the resolution, the board included a brief history on the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery, and other legislation by the federal government to address racial inequality. The motion also details how much of those rights established by law have been ignored or bypassed by Jim Crow laws, intimidation and structural racism to historically prevent Black Americans from achieving equality.
The Orange County Board of Commissioners is set to hold its next meeting on Tuesday, December 15.
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