§ 34-101 Legislative findings.
AC § 34-101
a. The council hereby finds that from 1626 to 1827, the city of New York was the site of the wrongful but legally sanctioned enslavement of human beings of African and indigenous American descent; that in the early 1700s, the city of New York had one of the highest rates of slave ownership in the country, with between 15 and 20 percent of New York city residents enslaved and deprived of their fundamental human rights; that after slavery was banned in the state in 1827, the city of New York continued to generate significant income from the illegal international trade of enslaved persons; and that racially motivated discrimination, riots, segregation, and violence continued after the United States formally abolished slavery in 1865, including through racially discriminatory laws, policies, and practices. b. The council further finds that on November 8, 2022, New Yorkers voted to adopt a new preamble to the charter acknowledging “the grave injustices and atrocities that form part of our country’s history, including the forced labor of enslaved Africans” and “the discrimination, racial segregation, mass incarceration, and other forms of violence and systemic inequity that continue to be experienced by marginalized groups.” The preamble also acknowledges that these systemic injustices continue to cause profound harms to individuals, families, and communities, and that “we must act intentionally to remedy these past and continuing harms and to reconstruct, revise and reimagine our foundations, structures, institutions, and laws to promote justice and equity for all New Yorkers.” c. The council further finds that on November 8, 2022, when the preamble to the charter was approved, New Yorkers voted to affirm that “We, the people of New York city, united in our resolve to build a just and equitable city for all, recognize the efforts of those New Yorkers, past and present, who fought for racial equity and social justice, honor the contributions of those New Yorkers who have suffered in the name of freedom, and acknowledge all who fought, struggled, and dreamed for a better life and a better city. Together, we stand on their shoulders as we move boldly toward a brighter tomorrow for ourselves, our children, and future generations.” d. Therefore, the council intends by this title to create a truth, healing, and reconciliation process, through which New Yorkers can publicly name and acknowledge the past, present, and ongoing harms and traumas caused by and associated with slavery and its legacies in the city of New York; and by which these grave harms and injustices can be publicly recognized, memorialized, and formally repudiated; and through which New Yorkers may promote accountability for such harms and injustices, including by ensuring that such harms and injustices are not forgotten, perpetuated, or repeated; and through which the city may take action to repair relationships and social bonds amongst all New Yorkers. The council further intends by this title to create a process by which to identify and pursue remedies and reparative measures that are responsive to the needs and priorities of New Yorkers affected by the city’s participation in and perpetuation of slavery and its legacies. (L.L. 2024/091, 10/12/2024, eff. 10/12/2024)
