From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. —The Community Reparations Commission's final report was presented to Buncombe County Commissioners, on Sept. 2 and, two days later, “the U.S.  Department of Justice sent a letter to local elected officials threatening to investigate the county or city if the report's recommendations are adopted,” the Asheville Citizen Times reported on Sept. 8.

 “The letter suggests the recommendations, which seek to repair generations of harm experienced by black residents of Asheville, would violate federal law,” the ACT noted.

“Penned by Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general to the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, the letter outlines the agency's concern over the report's policy recommendations, which address criminal justice, education, housing, economic development and health and wellness. 

“The letter, titled ‘RE: Unlawful Race-Based Discrimination,’ called the recommendations "concerning" and suggested they would break federal civil rights law.

 "To the extent these recommendations are formally adopted, you are now on notice that my office stands ready to investigate and enforce violations of federal civil rights laws to the fullest extent possible," she wrote in the letter.

“Asheville's Community Reparations Commission, among the first of its kind in the country, was formed in 2022 after the city voted unanimously to begin the reparations process in 2020,” the ACT reported. “Buncombe County commissioners also approved the plan. After three years of work, the final report was discussed during the commission's Aug. 18 meeting.”

The ACT added, “Mayor Esther Manheimer declined to comment on the letter, but some local elected officials responded with frustration.

“On Sept. 5, City Council member Bo Hess — who posted the letter on social media — said he had spoken with City Attorney Brad Branham about the letter. “I’m not surprised,” Hess said of the letter, calling it disappointing.

“The afternoon of Sept. 5, Buncombe County Commissioner Martin Moore, who is running for Buncombe County District Attorney, posted two memes on X, suggesting the DOJ is looking into the ‘imaginary crimes’ of reverse racism, reparations and violations of an executive order.

“The report featured 39 policy recommendations and includes a variety of suggestions to increase black homeownership and provide remedies for families and businesses impacted by 20th century urban renewal practices that disproportionately impacted Asheville’s Black neighborhoods.”

However, after the report was presented during a Sept. 2 county commissioners briefing, “a flurry of social media posts were made regarding the reparations program,” the ACT reported.