Albany, New York - The New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies met for the first time Tuesday as members took an oath to serve and began discussions on leadership.

Dr. Seanelle Hawkins, president and CEO of the Urban League of Rochester, was unanimously selected to serve as chair of the state's groundbreaking reparations commission.

The commission is due to meet again within 30 days to select a vice chair as some members supported the nomination of Dr. Ron Daniels, founder and president of Institute of the Black World 21st Century, who was not present in person. The Rev. Dr. Deborah Jenkins, founding pastor of Faith @ Work Christian Church, Co-op City, also put her name forward for the role.

The commission convened for the first time at the State Capitol as it embarks on an 18-month journey to track the ongoing harms stemming from enslavement, Jim Crow apartheid, and present-day racist policies. The body is due to present its final report and policy recommendations to the New York State legislature by the end of 2025.

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Although questions remain open on leadership, staff, and the future meeting schedule, the grassroots New Yorkers for Reparations coalition celebrated Tuesday's progress toward reparative justice.

"This is a historic day for Black New Yorkers and the larger movement for racial justice in New York. We now have a New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies moving forward the work of reckoning with New York’s legacy of enslavement, segregation and white supremacy and recommending the necessary actions to address long-standing inequalities that exist across Black communities and repair the ongoing harm across the state," the coalition said in a statement.

"It is imperative that the commission employ a holistic framework as they undertake this work that addresses the state-sanctioned violence and economic, political, and cultural harm wrought on Black communities across centuries."

"Over the course of the next 18 months we plan to ensure as many New Yorkers, particularly Black New Yorkers, make their voices heard so that reparations become a reality in our state."