Sojourner Truth School for Social Change Leadership

For those who might be unfamiliar, the Stolen Beam series is an educational engagement with and personal reflection on the topic of reparations for African-Americans, with a focus on the legacy of African enslavement and 400 years of anti-Black racism. The course considers what was stolen, what may be owed, historical examples of reparations, current challenges and controversies, and faith-based reparations statements and examples. The class materials offer participants a fuller perspective of US history, one that many of us never learned, that centers on the historical and lived experience of African-Americans. The class asks the participants to consider the case for reparations as a remedy for past injustice and continued harms to descendants of enslaved African people, and as a concrete response to the ongoing, ever-widening racial wealth gap in this country. Finally, the Stolen Beam series offers participants an opportunity to engage heads and hearts, in a spirit of deep listening and reflection, honest and respectful sharing, that for some becomes a journey of discovery and transformation. The Stolen Beam has been offered since Spring 2021 in a variety of settings around the country, including Jewish, Christian, UU, interfaith, secular and municipal spaces.