How Did We Get Here? panel discussion

To close out Black History Month, representatives from churches and other organizations that have made reparations payments to the Justice League of Greater Lansing will participate in a panel discussion 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 28) at the East Lansing Public Library.

The Justice League, a Black-led nonprofit that was founded in 2021, has collected more than $400,000 in reparations payments to address the racial wealth gap in Greater Lansing. The funds support home ownership, education and entrepreneurship for African Americans.

“Those who have made financial reparations have been intentional in seeking a better understanding of the impact of centuries of human rights violations against African Americans,” said Willye Bryan, founder and vice president of the Justice League. “We hope this event will inspire people to learn about the ways most white families could build generational wealth that were not available to African Americans. This includes the GI Bill, property appreciation due to redlining by banks, access to capital for businesses and many other forms of racial discrimination.”

The event is free, but reservations are recommended at justiceleagueglm.org.