Pax Christi USA supports efforts to study the legacy of enslavement in the United States and to develop proposals for reparations.
We stand with our colleagues with the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas’ Justice Team in endorsing the historic work of the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Who Are Descendants of those Enslaved in the United States, and we invite Pax Christi groups and partners to endorse the work, too. (See below to endorse.)
As you may know, the California State Legislature and the California governor formed the nine-member Task Force in 2020 after the brutal murder of George Floyd (Assembly Bill 3121). The Task Force – the first in the nation – was commissioned to pursue a three-part mandate to:
- research/study the history and harm of slavery in California;
- educate the public and elected leaders about its findings; and
- explore a wide range of potential reparations as defined by international law.
The Task Force issued their first comprehensive interim report in June 2022 and began holding public hearings: lifting up the history, dispelling myths, proposing possible approaches to address the intergenerational harm in health, housing, education, compensation, and more. (Use this link to read the report’s 29-page executive summary.) This work is already bearing fruit, forging new ties across race, class, culture, and religion. Another indication of its power is the escalating attacks and efforts by the right-wing news media to distort their findings as they draw near to issuing their final report.
Thus, the Task Force is inviting organizational endorsements (local and state Pax Christi groups, congregations, parishes, JPIC offices, etc.) to safeguard the work. To date, they have endorsements from more than 175 local, state, and national organizations.
This is a momentous opportunity to shine a light on our country’s history and to seek ways toward restorative justice as a prelude to authentic reconciliation.
>> Use this link to endorse either 1) the mission and overall efforts of the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, or 2) the study of reparations for African Americans.