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Reparations group: The event is a testament to the commitment to justice, equality, positive change
Courtesy Photo: The Justice League built its reparations endowed fund with donations from white churches in 2023, such as the $130,000 given by All Saints Episcopal Church in East Lansing.
LANSING, Mich. — Justice League of Greater Lansing will highlight the milestones achieved and impact made during its first two years at the League’s Fall Celebration & Fundraiser, 5-7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 3. The event is at Gregory’s Soul Food, 2510 N. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Lansing. Tickets are free and limited to 100 persons; donations are encouraged. Registration is at www.JusticeLeagueGLM.org.
“This is a community celebration for those helping or want to help the Justice League create Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘Beloved Community’ right here in Greater Lansing,” said Willye Bryan, Justice League founder. For King, the Beloved Community is a global vision in which all people can share the wealth of the earth — poverty, hunger, and homelessness are not tolerated. Bryan continued, “The spotlight will be on our focused efforts to establish and foster a faith-based reparations model built upon relationships with White houses of worship.”
The event’s guest speaker is author and City Pulse columnist Dedria Humphries Barker. She focuses on mixed-race family issues in her writings. At the Fall Celebration, she will address “Reparations from God’s People are due in God’s time, which is Now!”
Other presenters include Bryan and:
· Prince Solace – Justice League of Greater Lansing Michigan president.
· Lansing Mayor Andy Schor.
· Representative of U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin.
The League continued to impact the community in 2023 through its presentations to predominantly white congregations. The purpose is to make the case for action to address the racial wealth gap. This outreach has led to what Bryan believes is the first step in achieving reparations: recognizing and apologizing for harm done by one’s forefathers and the collective complicity in the belief of White supremacy.
This is why she’s extremely proud of the two public apologies the Justice League coordinated in 2023. White congregants and other allies apologized to descendants of enslaved African Americans. Acknowledgments such as this frees both groups to move ahead. There’s no guilt so the focus can be on the desire to work to improve society.
Another major accomplishment for the two-year-old organization was receiving donations from two East Lansing churches — All Saints Episcopal Church and Edgewood United Church — that totaled $300,500. Several other churches are supporting their pledges of significant donations over terms of five or more years.
The League’s reparations endowed fund has grown enough to begin awarding grants that support home ownership, education, and entrepreneurship for descendants of enslaved African Americans within Greater Lansing. Information will be posted on the Justice League’s website, www.JusticeLeagueGLM.org.
“It’s through an unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and positive change and the incredible support of our community that we are succeeding,” Bryan said. “This event is to celebrate that success.”
About Justice League of Greater Lansing Michigan
This 501(c)(3) organization was conceived in 2021 to repair the breach caused by the historical damage of slavery and its aftermath. The solution is a faith-based model of reparations.
In the spirit of repentance for the sin of racism, the Justice League seeks to build relationships and facilitate reparations between houses of worship and collaborative partners with the goal of closing the racial wealth gap that exists between Black and white residents in Greater Lansing. This specifically means increasing wealth equity for descendants of enslaved African Americans. Financial reparations will support home ownership, education and entrepreneurship. More information is at www.JusticeLeagueGLM.org.