Westminster Presbyterian Church in Portage is bringing the conversation about reparations to the Kalamazoo-area. The church is hosting a presentation Sunday by the Justice League of Greater Lansing.
“We provide the education that is woefully lacking in this country about the need for reparations,” said Justice League founder Willye Bryan.
The focus of the presentation is on the history of making financial amends to descendants of enslaved people.
“We don’t go in with the tactic of forcing or making people feel guilty, or any approach like that. It’s more to give the information to educate folks.”
The Justice League is also a model of offering reparations on a local level.
Bryan says the group works with predominantly white churches whose wealth may have been built in part on profits from slavery. The churches are putting some of that wealth toward reparations for Lansing’s Black residents in the form of scholarships, housing and business support.
Founded in 2021, the Justice League has raised about $400,000 so far. In August, the nonprofit made its first payout, awarding ten college scholarships.
“What About Reparations?” is at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1515 Helen Avenue in Portage. The 90-minute presentation starts at 5:30 p.m.
This isn’t the Justice Leagues first presentation in the area. Organizer Fred Welch said there was a similar event earlier this year, but he said…
“We would like to present to a wider audience in Kalamazoo County, the idea of how reparations can get started and can be accomplished at the local level.”
Welch says he hopes Sunday’s presentation will generate interest in launching a similar effort in Kalamazoo County.