Saint Paul Recovery Act Community Reparations Commission

About the Reparations Commission

Background

Since Saint Paul’s founding, African Americans have experienced systemic discrimination, including redlining, racially restrictive covenants restricting the sale of real-estate, and the destruction of the Rondo neighborhood and business district to construct Interstate 94. These actions contributed to enduring disparities in homeownership, economic prosperity, education and healthcare.

In response, the Saint Paul City Council adopted Resolution 21-77 in January 2021, formally apologizing for the City’s role in institutional and structural racism and calling for the creation of a framework for reparations. A Legislative Advisory Committee — composed of community members with relevant expertise and lived experience—was convened to develop recommendations for a permanent Reparations Commission.

The Legislative Advisory Committee produced a draft ordinance and supported a report that informed the establishment of the Saint Paul Recovery Act Community Reparations Commission. The Commission was formally created by City Council action on January 4, 2023, with the ordinance taking effect on February 13, 2023.

Purpose

Chapter 112.01 of the Administrative Code establishes the Saint Paul Recovery Act Community Reparations Commission as an advisory body to the Mayor and City Council on repairing harms caused by public and private systemic racism. These harms have resulted in racial disparities in generational wealth, homeownership, healthcare, education, employment, pay, and fairness within the criminal justice system for American Descendants of Chattel Slavery.

Commission Role and Responsibilities

Under Chapter 112.05 of the Administrative Code, the Commission serves in an advisory capacity to the Mayor and City Council on all policy and budget matters related to reparations. Its responsibilities include:

Making short, medium, and long-term policy, program, and budget recommendations to support the creation and sustainment of generational wealth and expand economic mobility for American Descendants of Chattel Slavery;
Establishing an annual work plan to communicate priorities and activities to City officials;
Developing time-based evaluations of City expenditures using quality-of-life metrics to measure reparations progress;
Reviewing and advising on City programming and budgeting related to reparations;
Serving as a subject-matter expert on reparations policies and actions within the City; and
Conducting its work in a manner that encourages and maximizes citizen participation.

Membership

Vacancies: Filled through an open appointment process
Appointments: Made by the Saint Paul City Council
Size: 11 members
Residency Requirement: Must be a Saint Paul resident
Term Length: Initial terms are staggered (1–3 years); standard term length thereafter is 3 years.
Term Limits: Members may serve two consecutive terms maximum.

The Council seeks commissioners who bring a broad range of professional expertise and perspectives. Applicants from the following sectors are especially encouraged to apply:

• K–12 and post-secondary education
• Faith communities
• Community activism
• Business and labor
• Healthcare
• Historians, economists, and legal experts

Members should reflect the full diversity of Saint Paul across neighborhoods, race, culture, age, ability, income, and sexual orientation. Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate the following:

• Lived experience relevant to reparations work
• Strong community engagement
• Understanding of reparations and the impacts of slavery

Meetings and Participation Support

Schedule: Every 4th Wednesday of the month at 6:00 PM (except November and December). See the meeting agenda here for detail.
Format: In-person meetings
Expectation: Members should commit to attending all meetings and contribute to the Commission’s work
Support: Commissioners receive $50 stipend per general meeting to help offset participation costs

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Application Information
The Saint Paul City Council is accepting applications on a rolling basis for appointment to the Commission.
Applicants interested in contributing to reparations policy and advancing equity in Saint Paul are encouraged to apply. The Council aims to appoint individuals who bring both professional expertise and lived experience to this work.
The Application Process
- Complete the application here or hit the blue button below.
- You'll receive a confirmation email that we've received your application.
- If you meet the requirements, your application will advance to our active pool for consideration.
- Upon an open Commission seat(s) becoming available, your application will be considered and staff may contact you for a follow-up interview.
- If selected, your appointment will be approved by the City Council and you'll begin serving on the Reparations Commission.
What to Know Before You Apply
- We encourage you to ask your City Councilmember for support when applying to serve.
- We accept applications on a rolling basis and qualified applicants are considered as openings become available.
- The Commission generally appoints new members when current members have reached term limits or resign.
- If your application was not selected for an open seat, your application will remain in the pool for the next opportunity.
- The time commitment to serve on the Commission varies based upon the yearly established workplan. At any given time, you can estimate 2-5 hours monthly.
Apply for the position

Biography

Carla Robinson

grew up in Saint Paul and has resided in the city for last 19 years. She has an MBA in strategic management from Georgia State University and a BBA in Finance from Howard University. Carla is currently a business manager at Best Buy Incorporated and has also worked in operations management and finance at GE Capital and Hewlett Packard. She is an advocate for inclusion, diversity and equity and currently serves as the Chair of the Black Employee Resource Group at Best Buy. Carla has been dedicated to common

Carla Robinson, grew up in Saint Paul and has resided in the city for last 19 years. She has an MBA in strategic management from Georgia State University and a BBA in Finance from Howard University. Carla is currently a business manager at Best Buy Incorporated and has also worked in operations management and finance at GE Capital and Hewlett Packard. She is an advocate for inclusion, diversity and equity and currently serves as the Chair of the Black Employee Resource Group at Best Buy.

Carla has been dedicated to community service within the Black community for most of her life. The majority of her community service work has been centered around youth development. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and The Links Incorporated, both organizations which are committed to the development and public service to the Black community. Carla is also a long-time member of Pilgrim Baptist Church which is in and serves members of the Rondo Community.

Biography

Nila Gouldin	Nila Jacox Gouldin, born and raised in Minneapolis, Nila chose to make St. Paul her home since 1989. Her passion for health care began as a teenager. Her first job was at Abrams Clinic in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood. During her early career she had the opportunity to work for underserved and under-represented communities across the Twin Cities. Nila has had the opportunity to contribute to the dismantling of the systemic barriers in health care while closing the gap in racial/ethnic health disparities. As the African American Health Coordinator for the Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative (EHDI) at MN Dept of Health, she collaborated with MN State University-Mankato to promote Community Health Workers (CHW) as a critical component to establish health equity for communities who do not benefit from Minnesota’s healthcare system. As co-applicants, MNSCU and MDH received funding from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to create, pilot and install CHW curriculum across private, public, and vocational academic institutions. Her ability to bring stakeholders together earned her the 2006 Community Partner Star Award from her alma mater University of Minnesota, School of Public Health. The success of this and other collaborations continues to fuel her passion and emboldens her to actively pursue opportunities that dismantle inequities within Minnesota’s established systems. She views her recent appointment to the St. Paul Recovery Act Community Reparations Commission as an invitation to establish equity for St. Paul’s descendants of enslaved Africans.
Trahern Crews	Trahern Crews, Convener, is a native of Saint Paul. He is the co-founder and lead organizer with Black Lives Matter Minnesota, and he is the former chair of the Green Party of Minnesota and chairs the party’s media committee. He is the former Chair of the Green Party of the U.S. Reparations Working Group and Co-Chaired the Saint Paul Recovery Act Steering committee to get the Reparations Resolution passed. Served as the Co-Covener of the St. Paul Recovery Act Reparations Advisory committee that produced the ordinance for this commission. From 2014 to 2015, he served as spokesperson for the Saint Paul Green Party (4th Congressional District) Campaign Manager for Marcus Walker for Senate 2012, Campaign Manager for Lena Denise Buggs for MN State Representative. Formerly, he served as the community liaison at Dayton’s Bluff Community Council connecting residents with the resources Dayton’s Bluff Community Council and the City of Saint Paul has to offer. He also worked closely with the Neighborhood Development Committee. Trahern Crews taught Black history and Urban Agriculture at Truth Academy and has mentored Black youth at New Lens and Gladiator Records. Served on the MN Council of Churches Reparations task force.
Jeremie English	Jeremie Dwane English, Convener, is a native of Saint Paul. Original member of the Saint Paul Recovery Act Steering committee to get the Reparations Resolution passed. Original member of the Saint Paul Reparations Book Club. Currently a Mental Health Program Assistant with in the Twin Cities Regional area. Has worked within the Health Care field for the past 13 years. Worked within the City of Saint Paul’s Parks and Recreation Department as a Recreation Leader for over 8 years. Mentored and coached youth of all ages and created a documentary working with a program called” Teen Power”. Was introduced to the concept of Reparations in the late 1990s while studying the work of Legendary lawyer Johnnie Cochran. Also studied the works of authors and activists the likes of Randall Robinson, Claud Anderson Edd and William Darity jr. 2021 member of Reparations panel with Hamline Mitchell Law School. Debate moderator for the 2021 second mayoral debate at Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center. Also help organized five Family Unification events at The Selby Soundgarden during the fall of 2021.
Khulia Pringle	Khulia Pringle, has a B.S. Human Service and Social Studies, with a Minor in Human Service Administration. Holds a Graduate Certificate Secondary Urban Education with Licensure, and is currently seeking to get her Master jn Education. AmeriCorp VISTA & AmeriCorp Promise Fellow Alumni. She is a former educator, and currently the Minnesota State Director for the National Parents Union.
Nathaniel A. Khaliq	Nathaniel A. Khaliq, is a highly respected community leader and activist with a distinguished record of service and advocacy. Over the years, he has received numerous accolades for his dedication to social justice and community empowerment. His honors include the inaugural Elizabeth Clark Neighborhood Activist Award, recognitions from the McKnight Foundation and Stairstep Foundation, as well as the William Mitchell Law School Community Service Award. Khaliq has also been celebrated by esteemed organizations such as Kappa Alpha Psi and Omega Psi Phi, both of which named him Citizen of the Year. He is a recipient of the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers’ Profiles in Courage Award, the 25th MLK Anniversary Lifetime Achievement Award, and the University of St. Thomas School of Justitia et Lex Award. In 2011, he was honored with the Facing Race Ambassador Award from The Saint Paul Foundation and Facing Race in recognition of his relentless efforts to combat racism. Most recently, Congresswoman Betty McCollum acknowledged his years of dedicated service by presenting him with an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in his honor. Nathaniel A. Khaliq continues to be a powerful advocate for justice, equality, and community empowerment.