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Courtesy Photo-Willye Bryan and Prince Solace, Justice League leaders
WHAT: First Presbyterian Church of Lansing will present $100,000 to the Justice League of Greater Lansing Michigan in reparation for the sins of slavery, the aftermath of gross human rights violations and complicity in the misbelief of white supremacy. The Justice League is building an endowed reparations fund to address the racial wealth inequity in Greater Lansing. The fund will provide scholarships and grants to support home ownership, education and entrepreneurship.
WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 4; check presentation during service, 10-11 a.m. Media is invited for interviews following the service, 11:15-11:45 a.m.
WHO: Willye Bryan, founder, Justice League of Greater Lansing Michigan
Prince Solace, president, Justice League of Greater Lansing Michigan
Stan Jenkins, pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Lansing
WHERE:510 W Ottawa St, Lansing; enter via back of building
WHY: From Pastor Jenkins:“Church members have long studied topics of white privilege and fragility, and have intentionally nurtured a relationship with another church that has a predominately Black congregation. But it was the death of George Floyd that acted as an immediate galvanizing force. We could not turn away or hide our heads in the sand. We took steps to do more: We publicly confessed our complicity and actively sought, and continue to seek, to repair what has been broken through slavery and its legacy.
HOW: About a year ago, the church’s governing body voted unanimously to present $100,000 in reparations to the Justice League. Next, the church established a three-pronged plan to obtain the money: 1. Use funds left over from a capital expenditure.2. Invite members to submit reparations that would defray the church’s pledge. (This raised $80,000)3. Subsidize the total raised with earned income from the church’s endowment for a period of up to 10 years.
Photo by Jan Jenkins-Pastor Stan Jenkins, at left, leads the 2023 Juneteenth Apology from white congregants of local faith communities to the African American community on the lawn of the Michigan Capitol. The apology is for the sin of slavery, its aftermath, and complicity in the belief of White supremacy. (June 19, 2023)
About Justice League of Greater Lansing Michigan
The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization was founded in 2021 to repair the breach in Greater Lansing caused by the nation’s historical damage of slavery. Reparations are in the spirit of repentance for the sins of slavery, its aftermath of gross human rights violations — including genocide, violence, land theft, incarceration and police violence — and complicity in the misbelief of white supremacy.
The solution is a faith-based model of reparations. The Justice League builds relationships and facilitates reparations between houses of worship, collaborative partners and individuals to close the racial wealth gap that exists between Black and white residents. 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.