Bill would dig up slavery ties

Some North Carolina lawmakers are looking to delve deeper into the state’s past.

If passed, a bill now before the state House would require businesses working with the state government to research and fully disclose any connections they had to slavery, including profits.

“There are a lot of things we need to be addressing that are important, but I think it’s important to the African-American community,” said Rep. Alice Underhill, D-Pamlico.

The bill, which cleared the House committee on state government Wednesday, was sponsored by Rep. Larry Womble, D-Forsyth.

The businesses also would have to file affidavits affirming that they fully researched their history, including names of slaves and slaveholders.

Businesses that don’t comply would face possible termination of state contracts.

“The bill … simply puts North Carolina in line with many other states that have passed similar types of legislation,” Underhill said.

She added that there was not much debate in the committee meeting Wednesday. Most of those in attendance thought the bill should be debated more widely on the House floor.

The number of businesses potentially affected by the legislation is small because most current companies came into being years after slavery ended, said Michael Hill, research supervisor at the N.C. Office of Archives and History.

The bill is part of a national effort to focus attention on companies that profited from slavery, with a special emphasis on slaveholder insurance policies, he said.

Many Northeastern companies already have examined their involvement with slavery, Hill said.

“(The bill) doesn’t seek reparations, but it deals with a related issue,” he said. “It seeks to shed light on the past.”

If it were to become law, Hill said, much of the focus would be on insurance companies and banks.

The state has deep roots in slavery, he added. On the eve of the Civil War, there were 330,000 slaves in the state and just 30,000 free African Americans.

Still, the revelations of ties to slavery could have financial or political implications if not handled correctly, said William Brundage, UNC professor of history.

The image of a company tied to slavery is a negative one, so businesses would need to demonstrate social responsibility about the matter, he said.

Brundage added that researching such ties would be a difficult task because companies change hands all the time.

Aaron Nelson, executive director of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, said few businesses in the area outside the University are old enough to be impacted by the legislation.

But regional and national businesses that operate locally could be affected, he said.

Not everyone is on board with the bill. Rep. William Current, R-Gaston, said lawmakers have more important issues with which to be dealing. “I personally don’t see that it’s valid at this time,” he said.

Current, who did not attend the committee meeting but has since read up on the bill, said it would be difficult for businesses to track their ties that far. “Our ancestors probably did a lot of things that were kosher at the time. We all make mistakes.”

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.