The Boston Task Force on Reparations is calling on “White churches” to step up and pay the Black community back for racial inequities dating back to the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The commission, established through a 2022 Boston City Council ordinance, is demanding a $15 billion payout from the city, arguing that Boston’s wealth was built on slavery.
Rev. Kevin Peterson, the founder of the New Democracy Coalition, is leading the charge for reparations and is urging White churches to join in the effort. Sixteen religious leaders have signed a letter calling on churches to provide cash payments and support affordable housing and new financial institutions in Black communities.
During a recent press conference, Rev. John E. Gibbons of Arlington Street Church emphasized the need for urgent action and encouraged churches to go beyond researching their history and discussing reparations. King’s Chapel senior minister Rev. Joy Fallon mentioned the church’s efforts to establish a memorial for enslaved individuals and a fund for social justice and reconciliation.
The proposed $15 billion in reparations would come in the form of $5 billion in cash payments to Boston’s Black residents, $5 billion to invest in new financial institutions, and $5 billion to address racial disparities in education and anti-crime measures. This amount is more than three times the city’s annual budget for fiscal year 2024.
The call for reparations is gaining momentum, with activists like Danielle Williams from Prophetic Resistance Boston demanding that the debt be paid in dollars. Williams, whose great-great-grandmother was enslaved in Africa and shipped to North Carolina, emphasized the need for reparations now.
The push for reparations in Boston is part of a larger national conversation on racial justice and historical accountability. As the debate continues, the city and its churches are being called upon to reckon with their past and take concrete steps towards reparations for the Black community.
