Dr. Constance Holmes and the Rev. Steven Bonsey present:

“A Stolen Beam”:

Essential Conversation and Spiritual Reflection on Reparations for Descendants of Slaves in the U.S.

African-Americans have been systematically deprived of the fruits of their labor, opportunities for advancement, and more for 400 years. Do I have the courage to face the truth of this history? Can I imagine what it would be to live in a family that has been the target of relentless discrimination for generations? What do I know of God’s will for the future this nation? What is my calling and personal responsibility for bringing about this future?

The moral challenge of reparations for slavery can be viewed through an ancient lens: What would you do if you discovered that your house was built upon a stolen beam? What would you do to make that right?

This question posed for rabbinical debate, as recorded in the Talmud, serves as a framework today for conversation and reflection: What will we do with the knowledge that the prosperity of our nation – and hence our church – was built upon the stolen labor of enslaved people? How do we make this right – as a nation and as a church?

This seven-session course of educational engagement and personal reflection, originating from the Jewish Community of Amherst, focuses on the legacy of African enslavement and 400 years of anti-Black racism to what was stolen and what may be owed. It examines the historical case for reparations; global and national precedents for reparations; practical proposals for national and local reparations; and theological reflections on reparations from Jewish and Christian sources.

The Stolen Beam course has been offered in communities throughout the U.S. ECM’s offering will incorporate contemplative practices in the Christian wisdom tradition as well as opportunities to discern in community how we may be called to respond in action.

Seven sessions on Zoom, weekly on Mondays, April 8 – May 20, 7:00-8:30 pm. There is no fee for the course; voluntary contributions to ECM will be gladly accepted.