BLACK REPARATIONS – A Public Ministry Priority
“And when you set them free don’t send them off empty-handed”. (Deuteronomy 15:13 MSG)
Reparations for American Descendants of Slaves (ADOS) is the process for making amends and atoning for all the damage done through government sanctioned injustices between 1619 and 1865 by the fledgling United States and the original 13 colonies which still impacts the ADOS today. Rep. John Conyers D (Mi.) first introduced HR40 to the legislature in 1989 and every subsequent year until he retired in 2017. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee D (Tx.) picked up the mantle, and in June 2019 subcommittee hearings were held. The bill would create a commission to study the effects of slavery and discriminatory policies on African Americans and make recommend remedies, including reparations. History was made on April 14, 2021 when the House Judiciary Committee voted to move the bill forward; however the Bill must still pass the House and Senate.
California is leading the nation as the first state to create a task force to study reparations. Legislation, AB3121, to establish a task force was introduced by Secretary of State Weber in 2020 when she was a state Assembly member. The task force consists of 9 members: 5 appointed by Gov. Newsome; 2 by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and 2 by the Speaker of the Assembly. They are charged with the task of making recommendations to address these wrongs, partially by assessing who is eligible, and in what forms these redresses will take. The Ca. commission has held four meetings already and the next is scheduled for December 5 and 6, 2021. Click here to visit Attorney General Rob Bonta’s web site: for upcoming agendas and to review task force meetings.
The Public Ministry Committee will collaborate with other organizations, including the National Council of Churches for Reparations (NCCFR) and the Coalition for Justice and Equity (CJEC) to keep our congregation informed and engaged. The (CJEC) holds regular community question and answer sessions that are open to the public. For more information, please visit these two websites for current updates. For an in-person discussion and Q&A on Reparations, visit the 81st Avenue Library in Oakland on November 6, 2021 from 2-4:30 PM. To help keep the congregation informed and empowered to act, the Public Ministry Committee is planning to host a Black reparations town hall in January 2022.
*****
SAVES THE DATES: NOVEMBER 8 AND NOVEMBER 15, 7- 8 P.M.
PLAN TO ATTEND THESE VIRTUAL COMMUNITY SESSIONS TO PROVIDE INPUT INTO HOW OAKLAND AND ALAMEDA COUNTY LINES ARE DRAWN
*****
JOIN ALLEN TEMPLE PUBLIC MINISTRY
Mission Statement
“The mission of the Public Ministry is to serve as a catalyst for socio-economic, educational and environmental equity through political action, seeking to promote Jesus’ ministry of justice to the least, left out and forgotten and provide community leadership in the public sphere, inviting all to join us.”
Vision Statement
“The vision of the Allen Temple Public Ministry is to transform communities into mature, empowered decision-makers who locally, nationally, and internationally practice Jesus' ministry of justice so that Christ's redemptive purpose can be accomplished in the world.”
OUR 2021-22 PRIORITIES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING
- Black Reparations
- Building Coalitions and Collaboration
- Housing
- Public Safety
- Redistricting
- Voter Education, Registration and Participation
We invite members of Allen Temple to join us!
For more information
Contact Reverend Jeremy McCants or Dr. Allie Whitehurst at
