OUR PROGRESS: Every issue of this newsletter this year will include an update on our progress.
RESOURCES: We get lots of requests for resource recommendations. Every month we'll include resources that we have used and recommend to others who are learning about issues of repair.
AN INVITATION: We'd love to talk with you. If you're in a church or judicatory; if you sit on a mission committee or diversity team; if you have a book group or a housing association that wants to learn more, let us know!
We'll keep the updates short and sweet but if you want more, you are always welcome to be in touch. The best way to reach us is by emailing us.
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Our Progress - Introducing Trustees
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We are absolutely thrilled to announce our first class of trustees for the Afro-American Trusts and we'd like to introduce you to them.
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The Rev. Gregory J. Bentley was born and raised in Alabama surrounded by a multigenerational household and baptized and formed by Saint Paul Primitive Baptist Church. He currently serves as pastor and head of staff of Fellowship Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama. Rev. Bentley has served in many capacities in political and civic affairs, including: Chair of Minority Affairs for the Tuscaloosa County Democratic Party; a member of Leadership Tuscaloosa, Goshen Lodge #530 (Prince Hall); a Life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; and, in 2020, as the Co-Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA) alongside Elder Elona Street-Stewart. Rev. Bentley enjoys good music...from Beethoven to Bessie Smith to BDP to Bluegrass. He also likes to read and play chess. He lives in Huntsville with his wife Diann and his daughters Miriam and Johari.
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The Rev. Jermaine Ross-Allam serves as the inaugural director of the Center for the Repair of Historic Harms at the Presbyterian Mission Agency, PC(USA) where his team is focused on growing the number of human beings working to share the Good News that restorative justice and Reparations make common sense for the common good as soon as possible and for as long as it takes. Jermaine previously served as executive director of 21st Century Academy at Kwanzaa Community Church PC(USA) in North Minneapolis—renamed Liberty Community Church—and Associate Pastor for Social Justice at Oak Grove Presbyterian Church. In addition to serving as the Center for Repair’s director, Jermaine is a Ph.D candidate in Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan. Jermaine is also exceptionally proud to volunteer with great colleagues as a theology co-lead for Restorative Actions—an economic justice initiative born from the intersection of theology, justice, and economics.
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Dr. DeLariah Jones graduated from Florida A&M University with her Bachelor's and Master's in Mechanical Engineering. She has her Doctorate in Business Administration with a focus in Global Supply Chain Management from Walden University. DeLariah has been married to her college sweetheart for over 25 years, and they have 3 grown children, Kaitlyn, Terrell Jr, and Jevon. She has worked for 3M and served in her community of St. Paul for over 20 years. She has organized youth athletics and tutoring program for underprivileged youth and worked on school committees for the advancement of improving test scores for minorities. DeLariah is looking forward to using her critical thinking and logics, which she has developed as a mechanical engineer, to tackle social justice and working with the Restoration Actions Organization.
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The Rev. Eva Melton is the pastor of The Firm Foundation Church, a non-denominational spiritual community in the heart of Birmingham, Alabama. Eva holds a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from the University of Alabama and a Master of Arts in Religion from Ashland Theological Seminary (Ohio). Eva brings a womanist lens to all her service. A womanist lens privileges the experiences, voices, traditions and artifacts of African American women and other women of color. Conjuring this lens in service of the community is necessary as patriarchy and white supremacy can often go unnoticed and unchallenged. A womanist lens considers race, gender and class in all endeavors.
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The Rev. Katherine Lankford is an associate Pastor of Christian Education and Community Engagement at Liberty Community Church in Minneapolis. She is a graduate of the interdenominational Theological Center and an Ordained Minister in the PCUSA. Katherine has over 20 years experience in the financial services industry and is the creator of Finance & Affirmations, a healing centered financial education company. The services of this company include a financial podcast as well as workshops and seminars. Through a unique blend of financial education, coaching, affirmations and visualization, she empowers her community to set and achieve their financial goals. Some of the work she is most proud of is the investment club course that she created in 2019 that she teaches to youth in her church. She has created an app which is an investing simulator tied to the stock market so the youth can practice investing while in the course. Though the main focus of the course is on investing basics she also teaches the youth about personal finance and civics.
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Trahern Crews is a Reparationist, social justice advocate, grassroots organizer and Saint Paul native who is a descendant of the Rondo neighborhood. Trahern has served in a number of capacities in organizations seeking social change and justice: as the former chair of the Green Party of The United States and its Reparations working group, former chair of The National Green Party Black Caucus, and former Chair of The Green Party of Minnesota. He currently serves as the co-convener of The Saint Paul Recovery Act Reparations Commission, the chair of the Saint Paul Recovery Act Steering Committee / Minnesota Migration Act Steering Committee, and the co-founder and lead organizer with Black Lives Matter Minnesota. Trahern has run for public office. Trahern hosts a talk show called the Trahern Crews Show and operates Original Man Farms, which teaches youth about urban agriculture.
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The resource we'd like to spotlight this month is our website: www.restorativeactions.org We're in the process of making some updates so it will look a little different in the future but there are loads of great stand alone pieces for you to learn from and share with others who have interest in this topic.
We hope you'll spend some time on the site and be in touch with us as you have questions.
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Members of our team are always available to meet with congregations, mid-councils, sessions, mission teams and social justice committees. Would you like us to meet with you? We are always available for conversation, presentations, and consultation.
We typically provide a 35 to 40 minute presentation and then stay for 20 minutes of Q & A.
Send us an EMAIL to schedule a time.
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