The City of Boston announced on Monday that it's looking for partners to put together research on the city's ties and role in slavery, as its Reparations Task Force moves forward with understanding and addressing the legacy of the slave trade.
Mayor Michelle Wu and the Boston Reparations Task Force announced Monday the release of a request for proposals for six contracts to study Boston's role in slavery.
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The goal is to come up with a detailed report that will document Boston's historical role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, featuring six sections:
- 1620-1690 — Boston and Bostonian’s economic growth and involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and trans-Atlantic slave economies
- 1690-1750 — Boston and Bostonian’s economic growth and involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and trans-Atlantic slave economies
- 1750-1790 — Boston and Bostonian’s economic growth and involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and trans-Atlantic slave economies
- 1790-1860 — Boston and Bostonian’s economic growth and involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and trans-Atlantic slave economies and their legacies
- 1860-1940 — the economic, social, and political legacies of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and trans Atlantic slave economies
- 1940-Present — the economic, social, and political legacies of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and trans-Atlantic slave economies
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According to Monday's news release, a contract will be awarded for each section of the report.
“To help our communities heal from the legacies of slavery and the systems of exclusion and injustice that persist today, it is essential that the City fully document the City of Boston’s role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I urge researchers to apply to this RFP and join Boston in our commitment to deliver justice for Black residents and bring equitable solutions to our City.”
According to minutes from the task force's Sept. 20 meeting, $600,000 has been allocated for the work, and the research partners will be chosen by December of this year. The contacts will run for six months, with an option for a six-month extension.
“The Reparations Task Force is pleased to be able to address its responsibility by issuing the Request for Proposals,” said Joseph D. Feaster, Jr., Chair of the Reparations Task Force. “I have full confidence that the RFP enables us to choose the best research partners who will clearly and honestly document our City’s history. I thank the Reparations Task Force members who were involved in the process of building the RFP, City officials, and the community for assisting us in this effort and look forward to the work ahead.”
Boston's Reparation Task Force is working to develop a series of recommendations for Mayor Wu that reconcile with slavery.
Research partners may apply to one or more units of study. The deadline to apply is on Nov. 6. More information is available here.
