Reparations Call to Action: City of Asheville

As of July 9th, we contacted City officials 809 times. Help us get to 1,500!

Tell Asheville City Officials: reparations are due

The City of Asheville has an overdue debt to pay Black Asheville. In recent weeks, city residents have made it abundantly clear that the time to start paying that debt is now. We are calling for the city to commit to implementing reparations immediately. 

This issue needs to be on the July 14 City Council agenda, so that each Councilmember can weigh in on where they stand on reparations to the Black community. 

Contact city officials and tell them that reparations needs to be in the July 14 City Council agenda.

How to contact city officials (sample email or voicemail below):

  • Email all of City Council at AshevilleNCCouncil@ashevillenc.gov
  • Email City Manager Debra Campbell at dcampbell@ashevillenc.gov
  • Call Mayor Esther Mannheimer – 828-259-5604
  • Call Vice Mayor Gwen Wisler – 828-333-1767
  • Call Councilman Brian Haynes – 828-619-1776
  • Call Councilman Vijay Kapoor – 828-424-7773
  • Call Councilwoman Julie Mayfield – 828-271-4544
  • Call Councilwoman Sheneika Smith – 704-401-9104
  • Call Councilman Keith Young – 828-407-1181
  • Call City Manager Debra Campbell 828-259-5604

Sample email and/or voicemail

The City of Asheville has an overdue debt to pay Black Asheville. In recent weeks, city residents have made it abundantly clear that the time to start paying that debt is now. We are calling for the city to commit to implementing reparations immediately. 

This issue needs to be on the July 14 City Council agenda, so that each Councilmember can weigh in on where they stand on reparations to the Black community. 

Asheville is the city it is today because of resources extracted from Black people. The City of Asheville deeply damaged our community through property theft during urban renewal, while growing its tax base. We have suffered as a result of failures of the Asheville City Schools and the bias of the Asheville Police Department without redress. And on and on. 

While what is owed is far greater than what can ever be repaid, there is no excuse for the City of Asheville to allow this debt to continue to grow without addressing it through reparations. 

For more about what the city owes and why, click here.