April 7th 2024.
In 2023, the city of Boston created a task force focused on reparations. This news was met with support from religious leaders who have now joined forces to form a coalition. This coalition is urging white churches in the city to contribute $15 million towards reparations. According to The Daily Beast, the task force recently updated their timeline for implementing an action plan, now aiming for sometime in 2025 instead of the end of 2024.
Rev. John Gibbons, a white minister leading a multi-ethnic church called Arlington Street Church, spoke to The Daily Beast about the history of racism in Boston. He believes that although the form of racism may be different from that of the Deep South, it is still prevalent in the city. He stated, "In New England, we don't often associate slavery with this region, but it did exist in a different form. As we continue to uncover more evidence, it's clear that prominent families in the founding of Boston were involved in slavery."
Gibbons went on to say, "Our city has a long history of segregation in housing. We have distinct Black and white neighborhoods and suburbs, which was deliberately created through practices like blockbusting and redlining. This has had a devastating impact on the Black community. The roots of racism run deep in the North, especially in Boston."
Edward Sumpter, co-director of Boston's People's Reparations Commission, agrees with Gibbons' assessment and believes that the city's white churches should take responsibility for their role in perpetuating racism. He told The Daily Beast, "They should be willing to give back to the communities that have been deeply harmed by the fact that Black people have been denied the 'American Dream' for centuries. For us, it has been an American nightmare."
Sumpter's organization and the New Democracy Coalition, founded by Gibbons, have been advocating for reparations in Boston. They are specifically targeting the city's white churches, which they believe set the tone for the culture of Boston that was built on slavery. Gibbons stated, "We have demanded $15 billion, but even that may not be enough. We are directing this demand towards the financial institutions and the legacy white churches, which were a part of Boston's founding. The economy, structure, and culture of Boston were all built on the institution of slavery."
The roots of Boston's religious culture can be traced back to theologian and early Princeton University president, Jonathan Edwards Sr. Although he only served for 35 days, his influence on religious and intellectual thought during the colonial era cannot be overstated, according to activists.
This religious history serves as the foundation for the appeal made by Rev. Kevin Peterson, president of the Boston People's Reparations Commission, for older white churches in the city to support their cause. During a press conference covered by the Boston Globe, Peterson stated, "We call upon these churches in Christian love to publicly acknowledge and atone for their role in slavery. We ask them to commit to a process of reparations where they will use their great wealth, some of which amounts to tens of millions of dollars, to benefit the Black community."
Gibbons echoes the sentiments of Peterson and Sumpter, emphasizing the urgency of addressing Boston's legacy of racism. He believes that the issue is too important to wait for a commission to take action. He stated, "We cannot make progress until we address the damage caused by slavery, which was truly genocidal for Black Bostonians and Americans. These issues cannot be left solely on the shoulders of the Black community; white institutions must take responsibility."
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