Reparations, Repentance and Redemption Series

Sunday, June 20th | 1:00 pm – 2:15 pm | Zoom

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Does our Christian faith compel us to support reparations for the descendants of enslaved people? While politicians and pundits argue over the policy and economic impact, they miss the theological implication: does God present America with reparations as an opportunity to repent for centuries of race slavery? Do reparations offer at least a step toward the national redemption that will begin to heal the racism that divides the nation and tempts millions to turn to authoritarian leaders? This three-session speaker series will open Riverside’s discussion of these compelling theological, ethical and political questions. This series is a “Foundations level class” – This class is a good entry point for those who are curious but perhaps are not very familiar with these ideas. This is part one of a two-part series. Part one is a beginners level class and part two in the fall will be a more advanced level.

Reparations, Repentance, Redemption Class 1 Reading List

(List of books, articles, and interviews related to Class 1 prepared by Rev. Anthony Jermaine Ross-Allam)

  • Mary Frances Berry, “My Face is Black is True: Callie House and the Struggle for Ex-Slave Reparations,” 2005.
  • Cheryl Gilkes (interviewer),  Black Women Oral History Project. Interviews, 1976-1981. Audley Moore. OH-31. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. (https://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:RAD.SCHL:10047386)
  • Lee A. Harris. ‘Reparations’ as a Dirty Word: The Norm against Slavery Reparations, 2003.
  • Mark Elliott. Color-Blind Justice: Albion Tourgée and the Quest for Racial Equality from the Civil War to Plessy v. Ferguson, 2006.
  • William A. Darity Jr. & A. Kirsten Mullen. “From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century,” 2020.
  • Michael T. Martin and Marilyn Yaquinto, eds. “Redress for Historical Injustices in the United States: On Reparations for Slavery, Jim Crow, and Their Legacies,” 2006.
  • Ana Lucia, Araujo. “Reparations for Slavery and the Slave Trade: A Transnational and Comparative History,” 2017.

Schedule:

Sunday, June 20, 1:00-2:15pm

Each session will provide ample time for audience questions.

Featured Speakers:

Rev. Anthony Jermaine Ross-Allam

Jermaine serves as Theology and Program Co-Lead with Restorative Actions (restorativeactions.org), a grassroots volunteer initiative for churches, individuals, mid-councils, and agencies of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and other ecumenical partners and interested organizations taking leadership in opposition to racism and racial privilege. Jermaine is currently a doctoral candidate at Union Theological Seminary in the area of Social Ethics. In addition to completing a dissertation on the social ecology of extra-legal violence against African-Americans after slavery, Jermaine continues to research the social ethical, and theological implications of social attitudes regarding reparations and reparations advocacy. Ordained by the Twin Cities Presbytery, PC(USA) in Minneapolis in 2012, Jermaine served as associate pastor at Kwanzaa Community Church, PC(USA), and Oak Grove Presbyterian Church. He also holds an MDiv from United Theological Seminary.

 

 

Jim Koon

Jim serves as Treasurer and Financial Services Director at the Synod of Lakes and Prairies (mid-council leadership organization of the Presbyterian Church (USA) serving 16 presbyteries and 650 churches across the upper Midwest). In association with Restorative Actions, Jim has initiated dialog with the Office of the General Assembly, PC(USA), leading to the creation of the Restorative Actions working team. Jim earned a BA in Economics at Claremont McKenna College and an MBA at the Fuqua School at Duke University. He has held leadership positions in the banking industry, including Head of National Product Management for Bank of America and President of TCF Bank of Illinois ($3 billion subsidiaries of TCF Financial Corp.).