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Rebuilding Titusville Community with $300M in Investments

BIRMINGHAM TIMES — Picture the Titusville you grew to know and love, a place with miles of land and even more potential. There’s a sense of nostalgia watching so many walk the sidewalks, possibly just as people did where you grew up. Greenery catches the eye, until it’s interrupted by the sight of a vacant lot or a vacant home. Though soulless apartment buildings occupy many spaces, a taste of what once was still lingers in the air. There’s a strong sense of history but not much to commemorate it.

Published

6 years ago

August 16, 2019

Oakland Post

The Villas at Titusville located on Goldwire Street South West in North Titusville (Ameera Steward, The Birmingham Times)

By Ameera Steward

Picture the Titusville you grew to know and love, a place with miles of land and even more potential. There’s a sense of nostalgia watching so many walk the sidewalks, possibly just as people did where you grew up. Greenery catches the eye, until it’s interrupted by the sight of a vacant lot or a vacant home. Though soulless apartment buildings occupy many spaces, a taste of what once was still lingers in the air. There’s a strong sense of history but not much to commemorate it.

Now envision this same space with newfound light and life. Apartment buildings filled with love and community. A house built by generations of a family occupying a once-empty landscape. Black-owned businesses emerging from the shadows of blight and years of poverty.

Welcome to new and improved Titusville community, which is now undergoing $300 million in redevelopment that includes Atlanta, Ga.-based data center provider DC BLOX Inc. opening its flagship hub data center at the former Trinity Steel site in the historic Birmingham community.

And there’s more.

King Manor and Montevallo Gardens along Third Avenue Southwest have merged to form the University Crossings apartment complex, which will provide safe housing for veterans and those with low incomes.
Loveman Village—now known as the Villas at Titusville and undergoing construction by the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District (HABD)—is currently in the midst of phase one of a renovation that includes 100 units planned for completion by the fall; phase two will include 64 new units and should be complete in the summer of 2020.
The former Center Street Middle School was purchased by Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School, which is making significant upgrades to improve the facility for its students and the surrounding community.

More Diversity

Titusville, a neighborhood nestled between the University of Alabama (UAB) to the east and Elmwood Cemetery to the west, launched the careers of politicians, college presidents, prize-winning journalists, and international bankers. It was home to prominent local leaders, such as African American architect Wallace Rayfield, who designed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church downtown Birmingham, and former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. It was one of the first neighborhoods in Birmingham where African Americans were allowed to own residential and commercial property.

“A lot of good things are coming to Titusville, a lot of good jobs. … No matter where you go, there will be great housing, great job opportunities, great developments, great opportunities to develop businesses,” said Crystal Smitherman, 25, who was born and raised in Titusville and now represents the area as the District 6 Birmingham City Council member.

“I’m excited because I think new housing will bring millennials, young families. It will still keep the integrity of the community, but it’ll also bring more life and more diversity.

She added, “Certainly, DC BLOX will push employee traffic to the area. Employees will opt to exercise at Memorial Park or use the walking trail to enhance their fitness routines. For decades, that property has been dormant. Now lights cut into the darkness. You can even see the red rooftop [of DC BLOX] from the street—it’s Titusville’s first skyscraper.”

Approximately eight developments are expected to be completed within the next few years, beginning in North Titusville with DC BLOX. The University Crossings apartment complex has just two more units to complete; the Davenport and Harris Funeral Home, located on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, is expanding; Center Court apartments on Fifth Avenue will be demolished; and lights at Memorial Park around its baseball field are being repaired.

Improved Sidewalks And Safety

Jefferson County District 2 Commissioner Sheila Tyson, who represents the area, said, with all the current changes being made the community will soon be unrecognizable.

“Neighborhood Housing Services [of Birmingham Inc. (NHSB)] has plans to redevelop some homes [in Titusville], as well as develop streetscape plans [to improve] sidewalks and lighting,” she said.

NHSB stabilizes urban neighborhoods in Birmingham and surrounding areas by promoting personal financial empowerment and home ownership.

Improving quality of life in the area and providing safe and affordable housing for residents were among Tyson’s main focuses when she served as a city councilor for the area, beginning in 2013.

“All I wanted was [University Crossings] remodeled and people living there, but I wanted security too,” she said. “I didn’t want another Montevallo Gardens, [an apartment complex on Third Avenue Southwest that is now part of University Crossings], where we were having so many problems. I wanted [residents] to have security.”

University Crossings will have 24-hour security, as well as police officers onsite not only walking the premises but also living among the residents.

The former King Manor and Montevallo Gardens were combined to create University Crossings, which is housing some tenants while construction is ongoing. Other amenities in the apartment complex include matching appliances, as well as a day care facility and workforce development center. It also has a storage unit that is shared with the Villas at Titusville apartments.

“To secure the [Villas at Titusville] property, [the HABD] closed off certain areas to prevent people from running between apartments,” Tyson said. “Porches were redesigned so they’re not too big; they’re big enough for you to be able to talk to your neighbor but not so big that people can gather and hang out all day long. [The Villas at Titusville also] will get an air-conditioned recreation center, in addition to day care and workforce development centers.”

The HABD will provide the remaining $500,000 for the Villas at Titusville Early Childhood Development Program, which is expected to be completed within 12 months, through its capital improvements fund budget; the agency also recently announced that it has secured a $500,000 grant to renovate the existing onsite day care center facility.

Other HABD plans include the construction of approximately six houses on the property behind the Titusville Library on Sixth Avenue, as well as the development of 56 lots on which new affordable homes will be built. For these efforts, the HABD has partnered with the Birmingham Land Bank Authority, which transforms vacant, abandoned, and tax-delinquent properties into areas that increase community and overall … property values.

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Memorial Park

Units in Titusville’s Memorial Park have been remodeled to include new floors; the complex also has a new pool, air conditioning in the gym, and fresh dugouts on the baseball field.

Another plus: DC BLOX recently opened its flagship hub data center on Sixth Street South across from Memorial Park. The initial investment is for 20 jobs with the potential to grow up to $785 million in capital investment. In addition, Tyson asked DC BLOX for a 15-year agreement to install a computer lab in the Memorial Park recreation center, which resulted in company officials promising to not only update the computers but also buy chairs, tables, and a printer for the facility.

“On my side, during my time on the City Council, I promised to install the alarm system to secure the [facility],” Tyson said. “[We have] $18,000 for the security system and the Wi-Fi.”

Other improvements in the Memorial Park area include remodeling of the Golden Flake Snack Foods plant, located down the road at the end of Golden Flake Drive, as well as expansions of both the Smith and Gaston and Davenport and Harris funeral homes.

Aside from seeing homes built and businesses expanded, Titusville will also see transportation improvements, such as bus depots or shelters and parking lots. Metro Area Express (MAX) Transit, the bus system operated by the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA), has plans for Titusville as part of its $20 million grant that will be used to place Birmingham Bus Rapid Transit Project (BRT Project) hubs throughout the city, including across from Davenport and Harris Funeral Home on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Third Avenue Southwest.

According to birminghamtransitprogram.org, “The … [BRT Project] will be a modern, enhanced transit line through Birmingham’s Jones Valley along the U.S. [Highway] 11 corridor. … It will connect 25 neighborhoods to services and provide residents with greater access to opportunities.”

Rebirth

When work is completed in North Titusville, efforts will begin in South Titusville and Woodland Park, Tyson said.

“If there are any vacant lots in South Titusville that can get under land banking, we will get those lots through HABD and build over there.”

For Smitherman, the rebirth of Titusville is personal. She is responsible for ensuring that the housing development is on schedule.

“I’m kind of the liaison between District 6 nonprofits and businesspeople in the city,” she said. “Sometimes it’s hard to get in touch with the city if you don’t know somebody there.”

For example, Navigate Affordable Housing Partners Inc.—a nonprofit group that focuses on ensuring safe, quality, affordable housing by focusing on the unique needs of specific neighborhoods—recently boarded up the apartments behind Westminster Presbyterian Church and the Titusville Library. Smitherman is partnering with Navigate to develop new housing, some of which will be rebuilt with support from the organization.

“That’ll help the city with demolition costs,” she said.

The Titusville Development Corp. (TDC), founded in 1984 to maintain, revitalize, and develop the community, is bringing approximately 50 new houses to North Titusville, as well, Smitherman said.

“Those are the main two nonprofits involved right now,” she said. “It’s very encouraging to see people taking pride in the community.”

Smitherman has been working with Titusville as an official since January 2019, when she was sworn in as a Birmingham City Council member as the representative for District 6, where she has lived her entire life.

“[This community] will always have a special place in my heart. We renovated my granny’s house, and just to see her … property looking a lot better means a lot. … I think [this] will bring a lot of attraction,” she said, adding that the Sixth Avenue corridor is “ripe for restaurants, gas stations, shoe shops. … The possibilities are limitless.”

Growing Toward the Future

In addition to rebuilding and renovating, Titusville is preparing for the future, part of which involves bringing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) opportunities to the community. Last month, Smitherman met with leaders involved with UAB’s Core Curriculum, particularly those in the areas of math and science, to discuss ways to help Washington K-8 School become a STEM-focused school, as well as improve reading and math skills among “every age group.”

“If you help every age group, you can chip away at the bad habits people have, such as not knowing how to build up credit or buy a house. I think it’s very important to educate people,” said Smitherman, adding that community-wide education efforts for residents of all ages—preschoolers to seniors—could start as early as next fall, and programs will be offered both during and after the school day.

What’s best for Titusville is best for the entire city, said elected officials.

“When you improve Titusville, you will improve West End, Smithfield,” said Tyson. “All the communities over here will be affected by this.”

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

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The Lead Up of the Five-Year Anniversary of George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The Urban League head also offered that some companies spread the support by contributing to HBCUs and civil rights organizations. The report also captures, in an Urban League written statement, how institutions, advocates, and the business community have mobilized since George Floyd’s death to advance policing reform and racial justice

Published

3 days ago

May 16, 2025

Oakland Post

By April Ryan

“Companies have not necessarily been transparent” in the corporate data collection process about their commitments following the police-involved death of 46-year-old George Floyd, says Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. The highly publicized Floyd death almost five years ago garnered worldwide attention and protests in search of justice on May 25, 2020, deadly case. Corporations saw the massive outpouring and offered support then. However, Morial summarizes the findings: “We use publicly available data. We use commitments that people have made.” When it comes to corporate commitment to the Black community, it is a mixed bag, “I think even some that have remained committed have made cosmetic changes, have changed names of programs. They’ve dropped a program here and there. But some have maintained most of what they do,” added Morial who spoke to the audience of the Substack show The Tea with April. The Urban League head also offered that some companies spread the support by contributing to HBCUs and civil rights organizations. The report also captures, in an Urban League written statement, how institutions, advocates, and the business community have mobilized since George Floyd’s death to advance policing reform and racial justice. However, the report also traces the political and cultural backlash. It shows that some progress has reversed.

One of the most recent real-time reversals is the current request by Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, pushing for a presidential pardon of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. He was the first officer convicted of the death of George Floyd for kneeling on his neck at the time of his death. President Trump can only pardon federal sentences. Keith Ellison, the Attorney General of Minnesota, says it’s just “a rumor” right now. However, if a Chauvin pardon were to happen, President Trump could only pardon Chauvin of the federal prison sentence. He is currently serving 20.5 years. When it comes to the state of Minnesota, there are still 22 years left on Chauvin’s state prison sentence. Ellison feels “it would be worse” for Chauvin to be pardoned. Chauvin would be transferred to a state prison to serve his 22-year sentence. Chauvin would be expected to be segregated from the general population for 23 hours daily. Ellison went on to tell Black Press USA that if a pardon does happen, “it’s a slap in the face to the Floyd family” and the multiple cultures of people around the world that called for justice for George Floyd’s death. Ellison fears that if there is indeed outrage in the streets over a pardon for Chauvin, President Trump will try to use Martial Law and the Insurrection Act against those in the streets. Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law tells Black Press USA President Trump’s anticipated actions against protesters is “the legal process equivalent to wiping out Black Lives Matter Plaza.” Hewitt went on to say, “It’s another way of saying Black lives do not matter.”

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Inside the Diddy Trial: What Cassie’s Testimony Reveals

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Cassie Ventura’s graphic and emotional testimony in the federal sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs has ignited headlines, debate, and controversy.

Published

3 days ago

May 16, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

Cassie Ventura’s graphic and emotional testimony in the federal sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs has ignited headlines, debate, and controversy. As prosecutors build their case against the hip-hop mogul, accusing him of running a criminal enterprise that exploited women, attorney and media executive Faye McCray laid out why the legal stakes are far greater than a story of a toxic relationship. “This is not a domestic violence case—this is a sex trafficking and racketeering case,” McCray said during an appearance on Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known. “And we have to be clear about that. Cassie is not the one on trial.” McCray explained that the prosecution’s strategy centers on proving that Combs used power, coercion, and manipulation—not just physical force—to control women. The defense, however, is focusing on messages and behaviors they claim show the relationship was consensual. McCray warned against oversimplifying the issue of consent. “Sometimes we think of yes or no,” she said. “But we’re not thinking of the imbalance of power and what it looks like to manipulate someone psychologically.”

Ventura’s testimony included descriptions of abuse, sexual coercion, and even returning to Combs after an alleged 2018 rape. For some watching, that raised questions about credibility. However, McCray rejected the idea that a victim must be perfect to be believed. “There are no perfect victims,” she said. “We expect a straight line, but real life and trauma aren’t like that. Especially when we’re talking about someone as powerful and beloved as Sean Combs.” McCray said the defense is leaning into that public perception. “They’ve admitted he was abusive, but they’re asking: does that rise to the level of sex trafficking and racketeering?” She noted that the prosecution appears to be laying the groundwork to show a larger system of exploitation. “We’re only scratching the surface of what could be a much bigger enterprise,” she said, adding that more charges against others could come depending on the outcome of this case. McCray also addressed the makeup of the jury—twelve highly educated individuals, including biochemists and scientists. “It raises the bar,” she said. “This jury isn’t going to be easily swayed by headlines or emotion. They’re going to want the details, the logic, the facts.”

Ventura’s honesty about cheating, drug use, and returning to Combs—details the defense is expected to use against her—could benefit the prosecution, McCray said, because they were introduced with transparency. “If the prosecution had hidden those things, the defense would’ve used that against them. But they didn’t. They’re showing the full complexity of her experience.” She also explained that Ventura’s $20 million civil settlement with Combs doesn’t prevent her testimony. “Two different cases,” McCray said. “She settled a civil suit, but criminal charges are a different matter. The charges are serious enough that she couldn’t be barred from testifying, even if he wanted to.” Some have questioned whether Ventura’s testimony—while heavily pregnant and emotionally exposed—is helping or harming her. “It’s retraumatizing,” McCray said. “There’s no doubt. But there may also be catharsis in seeing someone who harmed you be held accountable.” Still, McCray said, Ventura is opening herself up to brutal judgment. “This is why so many victims stay silent.”

Asked whether Combs might testify, McCray said it would be risky but powerful. “He’s a celebrity. He’s charming. If anyone can sell himself, it’s him. But it’s a gamble.” And while many are fixated on the salacious details—so-called “freak-offs,” escort services, and private humiliations—McCray cautioned that these allegations expose deeper questions about power in the entertainment industry. “We’ve heard for decades about how shady the music business can be,” she said. “But now we’re being forced to look at who’s been protected—and at whose expense.” McCray said the most important takeaway may be what happens next in the court of public opinion. “Viewers shape culture. How we talk about this, what we post, what we laugh at—it matters,” she said. “Survivors are watching. People in our lives who are quietly suffering are watching. And how we talk about them may decide if they ever speak.”

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WATCH Reparations NOW Resolution Introduced

WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 15, 2025 — Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) led her colleagues in reintroducing the Reparations Now Resolution to call on the federal government to provide reparations to the descendants of enslaved Black families. The resolution seeks to advance federal reparations, support existing reparatory justice efforts such as H.R. 40, and provide further momentum […]

Published

3 days ago

May 16, 2025

Oakland Post

WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 15, 2025 — Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) led her colleagues in reintroducing the Reparations Now Resolution to call on the federal government to provide reparations to the descendants of enslaved Black families. The resolution seeks to advance federal reparations, support existing reparatory justice efforts such as H.R. 40, and provide further momentum to reparations efforts at the state and local levels. WATCH:

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Read the bill here.

The resolution was introduced at a press conference with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and a coalition of advocates. Former Congresswoman Cori Bush, who initially introduced the resolution, was also in attendance. The Members were joined by Dreisen Heath of Reparations Strategist and Founder of Why We Can’t Wait Reparations Coalition, Miya Iwataki of Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress/Nikkei Progressives, Chelsea Higgs Wise, Executive Director of Marijuana Justice, Robin Rue Simmons of First Repair, Kyle Bibby, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Black Veterans Project, and Marcus Anthony Hunter, Author, Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of a Nation.

“As a descendant of my enslaved ancestors, I am deeply humbled to reintroduce the Reparations Now Resolution. Black folks are owed more than thoughts and prayers—we are owed restitution and justice to repair the government-sanctioned harm that has plagued our communities for generations,” said Rep. Summer Lee. “While attempts to whitewash, obstruct, and deny Black history are made, we must fight the white supremacy rampant in our country, against the rising authoritarianism, and not allow anyone to deny Black folks the ability to survive and to thrive. I thank former Congresswoman Bush for passing on the torch for this resolution and urge my colleagues to pass it without delay.”

“Today we say what too many are too afraid to say: Reparations Now. For over 400 years, this country has profited off the stolen labor, stolen land, and stolen lives of Black people, and every day that we fail to repair the harm, we compound it. Until there is repair, there will be no justice, and where there is no justice, we will continue to fight. Many thanks to Congresswoman Summer Lee for her leadership and to this movement. Without you all, this would not move forward,” said former Rep. Bush.

“For centuries, our Black neighbors have endured the brutality of slavery, the violence of white supremacy, the dehumanization of Jim Crow, and the systemic racism that has left a lasting impact on the lives of Black families in our communities,” said Rep. Tlaib. “By following through on our promise to provide reparations, Congress can begin to address the racial wealth gap, end the decades of disinvestment in communities of color, and dismantle the racist systems that have oppressed our Black neighbors for far too long.”

“Congress has a duty – an obligation – to confront past wrongs and address the centuries of enslavement, violence, and discrimination against Black people. With Donald Trump and Republicans waging a coordinated, all-out assault on Black communities, we must advance an affirmative agenda for Black America,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley. “We are in a moment of anti-Blackness on steroids, and we will not back down in our pursuit of reparative justice. I am proud to partner with my sister-in-service, Congresswoman Summer Lee, to continue moving this critical priority forward,” said Rep. Pressley.

“The impact of slavery and generations of racist policies didn’t end with the Civil Rights Movement. We still see the consequences today in wealth inequality, in access to healthcare and education, and in the criminal justice system. That’s why I support the Reparations Now Resolution,” said Rep. Omar. “This bill is about acknowledging the truth of this country’s history and taking meaningful steps to repair the harm. This is one of many ways that we can create real change in the lives of Black families today and for generations to come.”

The Reparations Now Resolution is co-sponsored by Representatives Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Valerie P. Foushee (NC-04), Al Green (TX-09), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Henry “Hank” Johnson (GA-04), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Shri Thaneder (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).

The resolution is endorsed by #unifyUSA, African American Redress Network (AARN), African Ancestral Society, Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation, and Truth (ARRT), Amnesty International USA, Athens Reparations Action, Bailey’s Cafe, Benita Raquiba Miller LLC, Black Veterans Project, BlackRoots Alliance, BLIS Collective, Breaking Generational Cycles, California Black Power Network, Campaign For Justice: Redress NOW For Japanese Latin Americans!, Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research (CLEAR), Center for Reparatory Justice, Transformation and Remediation, Community Rising Project, DC Justice Lab, Democrats Abroad Reparations Task Force (DA RTF), Descendants of Enslaved Communities of Virginia, Drug Policy Alliance, Equal Justice USA, Equality Federation, FirstRepair, FreedomRoad.us, Fund For Reparations NOW! (FFRN!), Get Free, Girls for Gender Equity, Gullah Geechee Group (GGG), Inc., Human Rights Watch, Incarcerated Nation Network, Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, Japanese American Citizens League, Japanese American Citizens League – Portland, Japanese American Citizens League – Twin Cities Chapter, Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project, Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity (MORE 2), Make It Plain, Malcolm X Center for Self Determination, Middle Collegiate Church, Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee, National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA), National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations In America (N’COBRA), National Conference of Black Lawyers Reparations Research Project, National Council of Churches, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, National Black Justice Collective (NBJC), NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Network NOVA & the Virginia Grassroots, Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress (NCRR), Nikkei Progressives/Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress, Norml National Care Givers, Not In Our Town Princeton, Parable of the Sower Intentional Community Cooperative, Parents Across America, People’s Organization for Progress, Positive Women’s Network-USA, Progressive Democrats of America, Rebel Noires, Reclaim Roxbury, Reparation Education Project, Reparations Circle Denver, Reparations Interfaith Coalition of Massachusetts (RIC), Reparations Pledge, Reparations4Slavery, Reparatory Justice Commission, SAFES, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Sanctuary of Hope (SOH), Sistamatictheology, LLC, Soul Child Awakenings LLC, South Carolina Reparations Coalition, The NOTICE Coalition, The Taifa Group, Timelist Group, Inc., Tsuru For Solidarity, UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab-People of African Descent & the SDGs E-Team, Unitarian Universalist Association, United By Equity, Universal Human Rights Initiative, Virago Strategies, and Why We Can’t Wait National Reparations Coalition.

“At a time when injustice is being codified and where there is an operation to erase public memory, Congresswoman Summer Lee dares to not only remember but repair. She carries forward the visionary and courageous torch lit by former Congresswoman Cori Bush—championing a reparations movement—and its demands—that is as expansive as it is urgent. From education justice to wealth building, from maternal health to environmental equity, this resolution recognizes that repair must meet us at every intersection of harm. The #ReparationsNow Resolution is not just a policy proposal — it is a movement mandate. This resolution is a light in an era of erasure and is a testament to the leadership of Black women who refuse to let this nation forget what it owes,” said Dreisen Heath, Reparations Strategist, Founder, Why We Can’t Wait Reparations Coalition.

“Reparations is more than a check. It is redress for lifetimes of losses brought on our people: loss of property, education, access to medical care, unjust imprisonment. As Japanese Americans who fought for Justice and Reparations, we are committed to work in solidarity to win Reparations for Black Americans, and to pass the Reparations Now Resolution!” said Miya Iwataki, Nikkei Progressives/NCRR Reparations Coalition, Organizer.

“Reparations Now is timely and much needed legislation. We commend and support Congresswoman Summer Lee continuing the mighty efforts inaugurated by former Representative Cori Bush,” said Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter, Executive Director of United By Equity.

“The National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA) is honored to stand with you during the historic introduction of this resolution, providing reparations to descendants of enslaved Africans and people of African descent,” said Kenniss Henry, National Co-Chair of N’COBRA.

“Human Rights Watch strongly endorses Congresswoman Lee’s reparations resolution and its urgent need to confront the enduring legacy of slavery and systemic racism in the United States. The #ReparationsNow resolution paves the way for reparative justice and addressing past harms and their resonant socioeconomic consequences. As international human rights advocates, we see this as a crucial step towards healing, accountability, and prevention of future racial injustice,” said Bria Nelson, Researcher & Advocate of Human Rights Watch.

“Reparations are not just a matter of policy—they are a matter of the morality of our nation. For too long, the dominant story in this country has denied or distorted the truth about slavery, land theft, and the economic foundations of capitalism. This resolution is a powerful step toward repairing the material harms of state-sanctioned anti-Blackness, but it is also an intervention of public memory. It affirms the truth of our history, the dignity of Black life, and the right to self-determination. At BLIS, we know that shifting public perception is essential to building the political will for reparations. We are proud to stand with Congresswoman Summer Lee and the communities who have long led this fight. Together, we are rewriting the story—and reclaiming the future,” said Trevor Smith, Executive Director, BLIS Collective.

“Reparations Now!” said Nkechi Taifa, President of The Taifa Group.

“Over 35 years ago, our country provided reparations to Japanese Americans who had been unjustly incarcerated during WWII. We are long overdue in fully coming to terms with our government’s complicity in the institution of chattel slavery and continued state sanctioned and enforced racial discrimination against Black people. The Japanese American Citizens League continues the call for our nation to once again correct an historic injustice as it did for Japanese Americans, and seek to truly respond to the harms that our government has inflicted upon the Black community in the form of reparations to bring healing for all Americans,” said David Inoue, Executive Director of Japanese American Citizens League.

“Reparations are about making equality real and creating a better future. There’s never been a more urgent time to support this resolution. While the MAGA regime tries to whitewash our history so they can whitewash our country, we’re demanding our leaders stand in the legacy of civil rights, reckon with the truth, and right longstanding wrongs so we can all get free,” said Nicole Carty, Executive Director of Get Free.

“Unitarian Universalists believe reparations are a moral and spiritual imperative. We cannot ignore the wound that persists from the theft of Black bodies, labor, culture, and dignity. The Reparations Now Resolution is a necessary and faithful step toward the healing that will only come through real repair. Our faith calls us to truth, justice, and liberation—and that means showing up with Black communities to demand accountability and showing up for the promise of a democracy for all the people, by all the people,” said Nicole Pressley, Director of Organizing Strategy.

“Respect Repair Restitution,” said Chief Egunwale Amusan, President of African Ancestral Society.

“We must support this resolution because repairing the enduring harms of slavery and systemic racism is essential to achieving a just, inclusive, and multi-racial democracy. The federal government can no longer remain silent,” said Stair Calhoun, Co-founder Network NOVA.

“May we be guided by the wisdom, love, and freedom fighting spirit of our ancestors. Asé!” said Nicolette Paige, Priestess at Soul Child Awakenings, LLC.

“The U.S. stands at a crossroads. We are choosing our future now. We cannot walk into a future with light and hope until we confess and repent of the original sin of our nation– racialized oppression. The Reparations Now resolution is more than legislation. It is a sacred act with the power to repair what racial hierarchy has wrought in our nation and in the lives of Americans of African descent,” said Lisa Sharon Harper, President and Founder of FreedomRoad.us and author of Fortune: How Race Broke My Family and the World–and How To Repair It All.

“This historic resolution forcefully argues the moral and legal necessity of why the federal government must provide reparations to descendants of enslaved Africans and people of African descent,” said Five Mualimak, Executive Director of Incarcerated Nation Network.

“The long shadow of slavery still looms over the lives of people of African descent who carry with them the transgenerational trauma and who continue to confront marginalization, exclusion and bigotry,” said Dr.Ron Daniels, Norml National Care Givers, CANNABIS, CDJ FASHION FORWARD.

“For centuries, the U.S. government carved injustice into the bones of this nation — sanctioning the theft of Black bodies, lives, and futures to build its wealth and power. The legacy of that violence lives on in every stolen opportunity and deepened divide. True justice demands more than remembrance; it demands repair. A holistic reparations program is not only a moral imperative — it is the first step in healing a wound this country has long refused to close,” said Professor Christian D. Green, National Equity Week Organizer.

“Reparations is restoration of free, sovereign, and independent personhood,” said Efia Nwangaza, Founding Director of South Carolina Reparations Coalition.

“”If I steal from you every day for 400 years, and one day announce that I will stop stealing (or steal less), my debt is not repaid. That theft of wealth, land, safety, and opportunity persists to this day, and it is time for people of privilege, like me, to meaningfully repay our debt,” said Robin A. Lloyd, Founder of Reparations Pledge.

“Gullah Geechee Land Reclaim and Retain (GGLRR) is our continuing demand – Payback Now!” said Sherry Ann Suttles, President of Gullah Geechee Group, Inc.