Reparations in Evanston Workshop Update: September 24, 2021

The second session of our workshop on Faith, Justice and Reparations in Evanston will be held this Sunday afternoon from 4 to 5:30 pm.  The three-part series is being held completely on-line. Register today to attend. 

Our first session last week, which focused on the history of Reparations, was very well-received.  We heard from both Rev. Michael Nabors of Second Baptist Church and Woullard Lett, a leader with N’COBRA (National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America) and New England UUA Regional lead.   

There were also several opportunities during last week’s session for workshop participants to reflect on the issue and share their views.  Next week we’ll focus on the history of race relations in Evanston and the ways our faith traditions call us to be involved.  We’ll be joined by Dino Robinson of the Shorefront Legacy Center, as well as by a panel of local religious leaders.  Evanston Reparations founder Robin Rue Simmons will join us for week #3. 

Each session will offer participants a chance to exchange ideas, ask questions, and get involved.  We’ll also give you updates on the Evanston Reparations project and on various related funding efforts.  Before each session, you can enhance your learning by reading and reflecting on selected articles and videos. 

Over the summer, several members of the Racial Equity (REAL) and Peace and Justice teams have been working to develop this faith-based workshop series on Reparations. We will explore what “reparations” means, how Evanston’s history of exclusion and discrimination calls for repair, what is happening with the city’s current Reparations programs — and consider how we, as people of faith, are called to act at this significant moment in history.  

To find out more and to access links to articles and videos on Reparations, Evanston history and faith statements on slavery and racial justice, visit the workshop website here. 

This program is a joint effort by UCE, Lake Street Church, Northminster Presbyterian Church, Saint Luke Episcopal Church, and Sherman United Methodist Church.  It is endorsed by Interfaith Action Evanston and funded by the UCE Endowment Fund.   

With many different faith traditions involved in our sessions, we’ll have the chance to exchange ideas and learn about the experiences of residents throughout the community.  Working with church archivists and religious leaders from throughout Evanston, we plan to focus on how local faith communities have responded to racial discrimination in the past and what we can do to level the playing field moving forward.