IN THIS ISSUE:
- A Message from Christian, ED
- RepGen Updates
- Reparations in the News
- Our Pillars and Programs
- Resources
- About RepGen
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MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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Friends,
I hope this email finds you well and that you are entering the new year with a sense of hope and possibility. As we step into 2025, I am filled with gratitude for all that we accomplished together in 2024 and excitement for what lies ahead. Over the past few months, we have been building on the momentum of completing the two-year evaluation process for our Home Ownership Reparative Transfer 1.0 recipients, the launching of HORT 2.0, and receiving the Outstanding Contribution Award at the National State and Local Reparations Conference. This recognition has strengthened our resolve and serves as a powerful reminder of the impact we are making in this movement. In this newsletter, I am thrilled to share more exciting updates and reflections with you.
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At many points this winter I have found myself in deep thought about the future of our work and the Reparations movement. While the outcomes of the election cycle may have dampened the outlook for some, we remain steadfast in our commitment to dreaming boldly about the world we want to see. Holding onto this vision of our world is a powerful way to counter the narrative that change is impossible.
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Throughout our organization's history we have been committed to transforming bold visions into meaningful actions. Through our HORT 2.0 program in Detroit, we have already provided $25,000 Reparative Wealth Transfers to five families, empowering them with the resources to jump start generational stability and repair harm. The insights gained from evaluating these recipients will guide us as we refine future iterations of HORT. As we prepare to extend this transformative initiative to even more families in the coming year, we are reminded that every step we take brings us closer to a future rooted in justice and repair. The seeds we plant today are laying the foundation for a world where equity and opportunity flourish for generations to come.
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In 2025, let us all remain committed to centering justice, creativity, and community in everything we do. Below, you’ll find ways to stay connected, updates on our latest initiatives, and more details about what’s in store. Thank you for continuing to dream, act, and build with us.
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With Care and Commitment,
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Executive Director, Reparation Generation
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- Spotlight: RepGen Receives Outstanding Contributions to the Reparations Movement Award: On Dec. 4, 2024, RepGen accepted the Outstanding Contributions to the Reparations Movement award at the National State and Local Reparations Symposium, hosted by FirstRepair and the National African-American Reparations Commission. “This moment is only possible because of the tireless work of generations of reparations advocates who never saw a dime from their efforts,” Executive Director Christian Harris said. “In fact, for many, it cost them their lives and livelihoods. I honor them every day as we create opportunities for Black people to build wealth and assess the impact of reparative wealth transfers on both contributors and recipients. Together, we are demonstrating that reparations are feasible, can heal harm, create wealth, and be designed effectively. Thank you to FirstRepair for the honor and to the ancestors for making this moment possible.”
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- RepGen Shares impacts of its Reparative Programs: RepGen co-founder Karen Hughes and Executive Director Christian Harris presented at the National State and Local Reparations Symposium in Evanston, Illinois on December 5, 2024. They highlighted RepGen’s participatory and cost-effective model for a reparations-in-action approach and explored how we can collectively define “what is reparative” and develop shared metrics to track progress toward reparative justice.
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- RepGen featured in Oakland Voices: RepGen was recently featured in an Oakland Voices article titled “East Bay organizations address racial wealth gap, promote Black homeownership.” The community journalism organization spoke with our co-founder Karen Hughes about the HORT Program. Hughes explained that the HORT Program’s focus is on Black American descendants of enslaved people and is intended to address the wealth gap between white and Black families and that the hope is for the HORT Program to be used as a model for a federal Reparations program. “It can have big implications for programs and policies that are of a much bigger scale,” she said. “So, when the federal government is ready to do reparations, RepGen will have evidence-based data to help that happen.”
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- Upcoming Virtual House Meetings - Reparations Deep Dives and Meet RepGen:
In order to better accommodate people at all points of their Reparations journey, this year we are starting to rotate monthly the topics of our Virtual House Meetings between “Reparations Deep Dives” and “Meet RepGen” events.
Reparations Deep Dives are targeted at people who are already committed and active in the Reparations space. These events are a chance to dive deeper into a reparations related topic and further your learning and commitment to the movement.
Meet RepGen Events are targeted at people who are curious about reparations and want to learn more about Reparation Generation. They are the perfect opportunity to dive into who we are, what we do, why we do it, and how we’re making an impact. Whether you’re new to RepGen or a long-time supporter, this is your chance to connect with our community, ask questions, and explore how you can be a part of this transformative journey.
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The HORT Program is making strides in reparative justice, with key milestones from HORT 1.0 and 2.0 and exciting plans to expand beyond Detroit in 2025. From our Restorative Genealogy to the impactful Community Engagement program, we're committed to innovative, collaborative solutions. Learn more about our journey and what's ahead!
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New reparations report details how St. Louis can act on racial injustice - A report is shedding light on the racial injustices that have shaped the city’s history and offering actionable steps toward repair. From a public apology to direct cash payments, the St. Louis Reparations Commission has outlined a transformative vision for justice, equity, and healing. This report is a result of over a year of community engagement and listening sessions, capturing stories of displacement, systemic harm, and resilience.
Black Residents in Palm Springs Watched Their Neighborhood Burn, But Now They're Getting Reparations - In the 1960s, Black and Latino families were given two days to grab their things and leave their homes in Section 14, a neighborhood in Palm Springs, California, to make way for commercial buildings. Decades after that devastation, justice is finally being served. Survivors of the 1960s Section 14 forced displacement are receiving $5.9M in reparations, alongside investments in housing, a cultural healing center, and a public monument. A powerful reminder that repair is possible when we face history with courage and transparency.
Report reveals how formerly enslaved people were ousted from land received after Civil War - A new report reveals that the government granted land to hundreds of people and then took that land back and returned it to white southerners. Listen to PBS News Hour’s Amna Nawaz discussion with Alexia Fernández Campbell of the Center for Public Integrity.
Churches and School Targeted in Tulsa Race Massacre Get $21,000 from Nonprofit - The nonprofit Justice for Greenwood has donated $21,000 in funds to 13 churches and Booker T. Washington High School that were targeted in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, a terrorist act carried out by white supremacists. Since 2021, the churches and school have received over $40,000 from Justice for Greenwood. In addition, the last three survivors, Hughes Vann Ellis, Viola Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle, were given $300,000 in May 2021.
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National Reparations Rally in Washington, DC
The National Reparations Network is mobilizing to plan and execute a National Reparations Rally in Washington, DC on May 17, 2025, the 100th anniversary month of the birth of Malcolm X. The Rally’s mission is for representatives from all sectors of the reparations ecosystem to come to Washington in unison, harmonize collective and individual efforts, align the movement’s narrative on reparations for the enslavement era and its current legacies, and demonstrate broad-based support for reparations.
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Reparations: From Concept to Reality!
Reparations are not a “pie in the sky” concept, but it can often feel difficult to clearly discuss their importance. Check out this YouTube video from our friends at the Reparations Education Project, that visually explains the history, importance, and need for reparations.
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MISSION
To be the generation of Americans who achieve federal reparations for slavery and for the unjust, systematic denial of constitutional rights of Black Americans well into the 21st century.
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WE ARE BLACK LED
High-level strategy and programming decisions are led by RepGen’s Black Founders and National Advisory Board Members (NAB).
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WE ARE FOCUSED
Our goal is federal reparations for Black Descendants of Enslaved Americans, but we're not waiting and modeling reparative programs now to highlight their effectiveness.
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WE ARE TRUTH TELLERS
Truth, Acknowledgement and Healing are reparative for all Americans and help secure our democracy.
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www.reparationgeneration.org
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info@reparationgeneration.org
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Reparation Generation is a multi-racial, national non-profit focused on demonstrating reparations in action and advocating for federal reparations for Black Americans.
RepGen is an independent operating project of the umbrella organization Multiplier, a nationally recognized nonprofit with a growing portfolio of innovative initiatives that conserve and protect a sustainable and resilient world. Federal Tax ID 91-2166435
©2024 Reparation Generation | 548 Market Street, PMB 81178
San Francisco, CA 94104
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