High Point City Council approves adopting reparations report

High Point City Council approved adopting a reparations report that outlines policies to address past racial discrimination.

Council voted 8-1 on Monday in favor of the report with Mayor Jay Wagner voting against it. The initiative was first started by the High Point NAACP branch in 2021.

The document gives policy recommendations in areas such as housing and transportation. It also calls for the city to apologize for its role in past racial discrimination.

Councilmember Michael Holmes says this was a historic moment that goes beyond just the city.

"We sit here now with the opportunity to start by changing High Point, by changing the state, by changing the country and then therefore by changing the world," Holmes says.

The report also touches on health and education policies. It does not involve payments to descendants of enslaved people.

Council has directed city staff to find out what resources or additional research is needed to determine next steps.