- Reparations Watch

NC Republicans Against Reparations Bill

If any companies with state contracts made profits from the slave trade in the 17th, 18th or 19th centuries, state Rep. Larry Womble wants to know about it. Womble, D-Forsyth, and Rep. Earl Jones, D-Guilford, are the sponsors of a bill that would require companies that contract with the state to search their records for participation in the slavery business and disclose any profits they derived. The bill got a favorable recommendation yesterday from the House State Government Committee, of which Womble is a co-chairman. Womble emphasized that the bill does not forbid companies that profited from slavery to do business with the state. The bill does say, though, that a state agency "may" cancel a contract with a company that fails to provide accurate information on its slavery profits in an affidavit. "It doesn't preclude them from ... doing business. It's just to see if they profited from slavery," Womble said. "It does not say that you will not get any business," he said. "It does not say that you will not get to bid. It doesn't say any of that. It's just to shine a light.... It's just shining a light on that part of our history." Womble said that California and Chicago have adopted similar requirements. "We do need to acknowledge that the system existed in the United States." Womble said that vestiges of slavery still exist in the form of segregated housing and a gap between wages earned by black and white workers. However, some Republicans and business interests view the bill as flawed. [more] and [more]