Last Saturday, July 24, saw dozens of New Hope Missionary Baptist parishioners join community members and other supporters at the Rally for African American Reparations: Return the Land and Resources to Our Black and Brown People.
Local faith and community leaders took turns speaking about the land near New Hope Missionary Baptist Church that was taken 50 years ago by the City of Seattle under the guise of “urban renewal.”
The rally was held to demand the City give possession of the land to the church and the community so affordable housing can be built, making it possible for some members in the Black community to return to the Central District.
Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant unveiled a resolution July 21 to compensate the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and others for land taken by the City under the “urban renewal” programs of the 1950’s and 60’s.
The legislation comes after advocacy by the senior pastor of the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Robert Jeffrey Sr., who is calling on the city to return the land or pay reparations for land taken, provide funds to build 87 units of affordable housing to fight displacement, and to create a Central Area Homeownership Fund to help Families of Color build equity in their community.
Rev. Dr. Robert Jeffery, Sr. always enjoyed his meals, but never thought much about what he was eating. That changed in the early 2000s, when he was diagnosed with diverticulitis, an intestinal disease that affects food digestion.
