On April 5th from 6 to 8:30 p.m., the Racial Justice Team at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign (UUCUC) will be hosting a Racial Justice Reparations workshop. This event is for anyone who would like to come and discuss racial justice, not just members of the church. Attendees will watch the film BOUND: Africans versus African Americans which explores tensions between Africans and Black Americans and historical interactions between the two groups. The film illustrates these tensions through folktale, personal testimonies, and accounts of the genesis of European slave trading in Africa. BOUND also explores the media’s influence in the apprehension between these groups and looks at the pervasive ignorance that exists throughout Africa of Black Americans’ historical oppression in the United States.
This screening will set up a discussion led by the President of the C-U Reparations Coalition, Dr. Jeffrey Trask, delving into identity, division, the repercussions of colonialism and slavery, and how these themes connect to reparations and racial justice in a contemporary context. This workshop aims to cultivate a nuanced discussion of race and social justice (especially as it pertains to the experiences of Black Americans). If you would like to participate in this discussion and learn more about the history of slavery and Black identity, the UUCUC would greatly appreciate your attendance.
