A panel of United Methodist minority clergy and activists advocate reparation payments from the U.S. government to the descendants of African American slaves, Japanese American internees, Native Americans, and indigenous Hawaiians. A three-part series: “Reparation: Remembering, Repairing, and Reimagining” was conducted by the United Methodist Church’s public policy office, the General Board on Church and Society (GBCS).
GBCS Senior Executive Director of Education and Engagement Aimee Hong was joined by four panelists during the second webinar series, “Repairing” on June 17. The UMC General Conference in 2016 adopted a resolution supporting the discussion of reparations for African Americans.
Panelists included Hawaiian sovereignty activist Leon Kaulahao Siu, titled Minister of Foreign Affairs for the separatist Hawaiian Kingdom Government, California-Nevada Conference Retired Elder the Rev. Michael Yoshii, Executive Director of Native American Comprehensive Plan the Rev. Chebon Kernell, and Senior Pastor of Evanston First United Methodist Church in Evanston, Illinois the Rev. Grace Imathiu discussed reparations for descendants of enslaved, interned or displaced peoples.
Siu, whose separatist organization claims 1,000 members, said “initially missionaries played a positive role during the occupation of Hawai’i (1898) but when Christianity became the established religion of the Hawaiian Kingdom, missionaries disbanded,” and the Church was divided between white pastors (descendants of missionaries) and the congregation (indigenous Hawaiians).
The United Church of Christ (UCC) apologized in 1993 on the centenary of the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and eventual U.S. annexation of the Hawaiian Islands, providing “$4 million in cash and property to be used for the reconciliation.”
Twenty-eight years later, these assets are only being used in the Church and not for reconciliation, Siu argued. Even if the Christian Church and UCC are taking part in the reparation movement, the Hawaiian independence activist argued more must be done since the U.S. government withholds public lands from the control of indigenous Hawaiians, which he asserted are the rightful owners.
Kernell argued that Native Americans experienced cultural genocide facilitated by imposed 19th century boarding schools. Among reasons justifying reparation payments were church (Christian denominations and predecessor bodies of the United Methodist Church) and government imposing poor treatment and harsh rules where indigenous cultural practices were “demonized and forbidden.”
Japanese Americans experienced both collective rape and trauma due to World War II-era internment, stated Yoshii. Although the United Methodist Church provided later support, Yoshii pointed to early support from the American Friends Services Committee (Quakers).
Quakers “visited people in camps and developed programs for people to access education and employment after being in the camp,” Yoshii stated.
Imathiu shared about how Evanston, Illinois, became the first U.S. city to offer reparation payments to the descendants of slaves. The city council voted to distribute “$25,000 each to 16 eligible black households to use for home repairs since black Americans had a disadvantage towards housing decisions.” In addition, “Evanston pledged $10 Million over a decade to go towards reparations.”
Each of these steps was characterized as only the beginning of efforts to a brighter future, with panelists suggesting the Church and community “continue conversations, remember the journey, acknowledge the truth, and salvage indigenous languages and spiritualities.”
A third panel in the series, “Re-imagining,” was held June 24 in which Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary Dean the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas considered reparations from a theological and biblical perspective.
Douglas alleged that reparations had been forgotten. She identified two pandemics affecting the black community: COVID-19 and white supremacy, adding that “black people are being objectified as black objects to be studied or a source of knowledge.”
The Episcopal Church seminary official called upon white faith leaders to use their voice and places of worship to foster racial proximity and affirm the black experience.
For more information on the webinar and to register for the rescheduled first event, “Remembering,” details may be found here.
Comment by Star Tripper on July 2, 2021 at 9:47 am
Since the immigration law of 1965 the US has become a multicultural country held together by taxpayer largess. As that disappears the US will fall apart. Homogenous nations form from the pieces of heterogeneous empires. What is the future of the US? Look at Yugoslavia in the 90’s.
Comment by Will that be enough Penance? on July 2, 2021 at 10:46 am
OK,
So Martin Luther supposedly did penance like walking up the cathedral stairs on his knees for his sins. What about the poor and needy in the US?
Will the penance of billions of dollars be enough? What will happen next? What will people have to pay for next to maybe gain forgiveness from the left for things that happened hundreds of years ago they had no part in?
I truly wonder if these folks have ever read the prophets in the Old Testament, or if they think they are so enlightened they can avoid the injustice they cause and the destruction they will being to western civilization?
Comment by David on July 2, 2021 at 11:53 am
Well, the US did pay reparations to Japanese Internees in 1988. There have been many groups that were badly treated in the US. “No Irish need apply” was a common notice in the early 19th C. Mexicans, who were the original population of Texas and California, etc., were enslaved at times and deported when found to be inconvenient. Jews were subject to exclusion from hotels, housing and faced quotas at major universities. The plight of Native Americans is well known. The list is long even without mentioning Blacks. Then it could be argued that Gays were subject to employment and housing restrictions and even prohibited from eating together in restaurants after racial segregation had ended.
Comment by David S. on July 2, 2021 at 2:55 pm
Here are questions for these people that they will NEVER answer. Who should pay reparations? Descendants of slave holders? What about those of us, such as myself, who’s slave-holding ancestors rightfully lost their plantations and slaves, and never attained the status that they may have previously held? What about descendants of the waves of immigrants during the latter half of the 1800s through first half of the 1900s? Then, how do you account for the purported goals of the Great Society’s anti-poverty programs? Or what about areas with strong, stable minority middle-class, 55 years after the Great Society was enacted?
Unfortunately, the proponents of reparations seem unable or unwilling to address these items in good faith. In fact, they never will address them.
Comment by George on July 2, 2021 at 11:46 pm
Where in the New Testament does Jesus tell us that we must pay for the sins of ancestors long dead ? Let’s call reparations by its real name. EXTORTION !
Comment by George on July 3, 2021 at 4:03 pm
David, did you say it was the Mexicans who were the original inhabitants of the Great State of Texas and the People’s Republic of California ? Oh no my friend. It was the Comanche, Apache, and numerous other Native American tribes. So should’nt the Mexicans kick in on those reparations ? See how this all ends up ? That’s right, it never ends.
Comment by David on July 4, 2021 at 8:21 am
Mexicans are still largely Native Americans of various groups. Spanish is not commonly used in all parts of Mexico. The drive for Texas independence from Mexico was largely prompted by the Mexican move to abolish slavery.
Comment by George on July 4, 2021 at 4:06 pm
Since you have it all figured out as to whom to blame, let me confess my great sin. I am a white 70 year old conservative Christian who’s great grandfather was a Confederate soldier from Mississippi. Raised in the south, I am the epitome of white privilege . So I am ready to pay as much reparations as those leaders in Washington see fit . But wait . What about all of the Americans who came here from all over the world . Asians, middle easterners, hispanics, eastern europeons, etc, etc, Should they shoulder the high costs of reparations? We are looking at a minimum of 5 or 6 trillion dollars just to give one hundred thousand to each full blooded African American. Then of course we will have our government officials determine what amounts to give those with less African lineage.
Surely you can see what i am driving at. No one will be happy with the amount they receive nor the ones who pay the bill. Just one more divisive ploy from the progressives.
But like I said, ” I had white privilege ” and I’m ready the pay for my transgressions.
Comment by Jeff on July 5, 2021 at 2:58 pm
Where subjugation of a people group is concerned, the Christian Left (an oxymoron!) recognize neither forgiveness nor a generational statute of limitations.
Fair enough — then how much do the modern-day descendants of Assyria and Babylon and Persia owe the modern-day Israelis and Jews? KNEEL AND SAY THE NAME! (“Daniel!”) Liquidate Iran, Iraq, Syria and Jordan (for starters) IMMEDIATELY! (Because compound interest.) JUSTICE FOR THE JEW!!! NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!!!
Oh. Sorry. Forgot that MethProgs HATE Jews. That gravy train won’t leave the station.
‘Course Jews worldwide (and in America, Chinese, Irish, Polish, Italians, true Africans, Indians, etc) have actually done pretty well for themselves in the Land of the Free by “blooming where they’re planted”, embracing education, hard work, the nuclear family, and the Law of Liberty of CHRIST. You know, all those things that some today perceive to be so-called “White values”.
Comment by L.D. Cary on July 6, 2021 at 8:39 am
Where are my reparations, too?
Of the approx. 750,000 (newest estimate) soldiers who died, several from my family fighting for the North.
“The last person in the United States to receive a Civil War-era pension died late last month at age 90. Irene Triplett received a monthly check for $73.13 from the Department of Veterans Affairs as her father, Mose Triplett, deserted the Confederates just before Gettysburg and later joined the Union army.”
But not all the dead has relatives, like Triplett, who received benefits.
What about us? Where are out reparations.
Comment by Search4Truth on July 6, 2021 at 12:45 pm
My father’s generation, called the greatest generation, knew that the freedoms we take for granted every day were won with sacrifice and blood. Today’s generation feels entitled just for planting their lazy butts here. Marxism in practice,
Comment by LD Cary on July 6, 2021 at 5:06 pm
Seardh4, that’s not really a fair characterization of Marxism. You’re forgetting Stalin’s Gulags.
Popular today is more akin toe the fundamental sin of Sodom and Gomorrah where the condemned acts were living in pride, plenty, with thought ease.
Comment by Skipper on August 1, 2021 at 9:42 am
If you start paying out for everything there will be no stop. How about the people in the South burned out be Federal Troops in the War Between the States? Whole cities were burned, all out in the county side people’s farms were burned and their animals killed or stolen. There were innocent people killed when their homes were looted. Even crops in the field were burned to starve people and food shipments were blockaded. These were war crimes, so reparations could be paid to descendants, but don’t hold your breath.