Fulton Reparations Task Force receives $250,000 for further research

February 13th, 2023

Two years after first establishing it, the Fulton County Commission recently funded its Reparations Task Force. (Photo courtesy of Fulton County)

The Fulton Reparations Task Force could be the first official county-level group to consider financial compensation for the descendants of former slaves.

That’s according to Karchiek Sims-Alvarado, Morehouse professor and chair of the task force. She and Marcus Coleman, the task force’s vice chair, joined “All Things Considered” to talk about what the money will go towards.

They say the county still has a long way to go to make right the injustices that helped build Atlanta.

“We love celebrating our civil rights accomplishments, but we need to remind ourselves that it was a battle here in Fulton County to secure civil and human rights for African Americans,” said Sims-Alvarado.

Fulton recently approved a $250,000 budget for the task force in 2023, the first time it’s received funding.

The money is for a study on the specific effects of slavery and Jim Crow policies in Fulton and a feasibility report on what the county can do about it.