AMHERST — Amherst residents’ attitudes about race and reparations are being collected through an anonymous survey, the first time the African Heritage Reparation Assembly is aiming to get input from a large segment of the community in advance of making specific recommendations for how past racial harms should be healed by the town.

The survey, which went live this month, will be one of the final elements for the panel to put together its advice for what is expected to be $2 million collected over 10 years for reparations initiatives should be spent.

The assembly, in coordination with the UMass Amherst Donahue Institute, is using the confidential and voluntary survey, which takes less than 10 minutes to complete, to meet its mission to study and develop reparation proposals for people of African heritage in Amherst, and to further the goals of the 2020 resolution “Affirming the Town of Amherst’s Commitment to End Structural Racism and Achieve Racial Equity for Black Residents.”

A report is due to the Town Council by the end of June.

Among the basic questions all respondents will answer include whether the person lives in Amherst, identifies as Black or African heritage and identifies as someone descended from enslaved people in the United States, as well as how long they have lived in town and how many years their family has called Amherst home.

Then, they will be asked if they support the town’s commitment to a dedicated reparations fund, have experienced discrimination, and about their experience with the town and region’s economic, health care, public schools, political, policing, judicial, housing and social services systems.

For those of Black or African heritage, additional questions will focus on peoplehood questions, including denial of rights to openly express cultures and destruction of Black spaces, townships and institutions, as well as who should be eligible for reparations, and the options, such as financial assistance for buying or remodeling a house, educational scholarships or cash payments, and associated symbolic acts, like renaming spaces and public art installations.

Questions about the survey, including the need for translation or a paper copy, should go to millerm@amherstma.gov or 413-259-3001. The survey and other information is at engageamherst.org/ahra.

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