A Community Engagement Initiative: Discovering Histories, Nurturing Futures​​

 

Our Reparative Listening Circles are a series ​of facilitated public and virtual forums to engage descendants, scholars, activists, and community members to explore issues related to slavery, racism, and social justice. These listening circles will serve as a platform for truth-telling, reconciliation, and collective envisioning of a more equitable future. 

 

These dialogues engage several local African Methodist Episcopal churches (where 95% of its members are descendants of slavery) and other community groups. The A.M.E. Church, founded by Richard Allen (1760–1831) in 1816, was originally comprised of five African American congregations of the previously established Methodist Episcopal Church with the hope of escaping the discrimination that was commonplace in society, including churches. It was among the first denominations in the United States to be founded for this reason (rather than for theological distinctions). Given this background and because these faith communities continue to be trusted sources of spiritual guidance, social support, and wider community empowerment, we have decided to begin engagement efforts here in these historic African American institutions, in Cambridge, Dorchester and Roxbury.

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To aide in this effort, we have partnered with Rev. Dan Smith who is a Harvard Chaplain, Adjunct Faculty at Harvard Divinity School, and former Senior Minister at First Church. We are also joined by a dedicated team of professionals who serve on our Community Advisory Board. 

 

This project has the capacity to unearth hidden narratives, empower descendant communities and foster a deeper understanding of the enduring impact of slavery culminating in a Community Response Report that will gather initial reactions and feedback. ​