‘Reparations Sunday’ Brings a Hot Debate Into Black Churches

‘Reparations Sunday’ brings a hot debate into Black churches

Advocates say the Black Church is reclaiming reparations as a moral and spiritual issue. By Joseph WilliamsWord In Black Overview: As America battles over race, history and racial equity, a growing number of Black churches are embracing “Reparations Sunday,” reframing reparations not as a fringe political demand, but as a biblical obligation rooted in justice, restoration and truth-telling. In this May 11, 1969, file photo, civil activist James …

'Reparations Sunday' Brings a Hot Debate Into Black Churches

More than a half-century ago, activist James Forman walked into New York’s hallowed Riverside Church during Sunday worship and made a demand that white religious America had spent generations avoiding: Pay reparations.  In what became known as the “Black Manifesto,” Forman called on white faith communities to contribute $500 million to Black America. It would be long-overdue recompense for centuries of stolen labor, systemic oppression, and plun…