Mayor Greg Fischer signed a resolution pledging the city’s support of House Resolution 40.
The resolution would establish a commission to study the impact of enslaving people and ways to repair issues that stem from it.
Councilman Jecorey Arthur, one of the sponsors of resolutions, says a reparation package is the only way to repair the country’s wealth gap and race problem.
“We are a wealth-less group across this country in a country we were forced to build and never paid for. The only solution is wealth. Wealth was stolen. Wealth must be returned,” says Arthur.
The 13th amendment abolished slavery 156 years ago but Maxwell Mitchell, a Louisville native, believes the impact of slavery is still present in the Black community.
He believes the city’s support of House Bill 40 is a step in the right direction to addressing that.
Mitchell plays the cello, piano, and guitar but music isn’t the only thing he makes.
The musician is also a graphic designer, website builder, and videographer who captures emotions at social justice protests.
When he’s not behind the lens, he’s standing with protesters in different cities.
“May 28, 2020, it's in my own city, it's right downtown. I can ride my bike there,” says Mitchell. “It just hasn't stopped since. Whether it was livestreaming, open records requests, putting out articles, writing blurbs I’m in.”
Mitchell says the oppression he witnesses of Black people daily stems from slavery and support of the resolution was music to his ears.
“We deserve reparations and have obviously for a very long time. I learned about the reparations given to the Japanese after the Japanese internment camps. Reparations were given to Native Americans when their land was stolen from them and then you have us going through 400 plus years of slavery and then basically saying a pat on the back well good luck out there,” says Mitchell.
He already has a plan for what he would do if awarded a reparation package.
“Setting up a series of classes to teach things like music to teach things like foreign languages, teach things like videography,” says Mitchell.
Looking at the larger picture, he sees an even bigger impact possible.
“I think reparations will lead to a lot of better outcomes than what we have now,” says Mitchell.
He predicts there will be better health, more homeowners, and community policing in Black neighborhoods. land “What form is decided upon, I don't know but I’m hoping it does come along with a formal apology in some form or fashion.