The Brooklyn Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. will host a community conversation on reparations and restorative justice June 20 at Brooklyn College.
The event will feature a screening of The Big Payback, a documentary directed by actress, activist and filmmaker Erika Alexander.
The film follows Robin Rue Simmons, a former Evanston, Ill., city council member who led the effort to pass what is widely regarded as the nation's first tax-funded reparations program for Black Americans.
It also examines the history of H.R. 40, a federal bill that would establish a commission to study and develop reparations proposals for African Americans.
A panel discussion following the screening will explore how national reparations efforts connect to legislative developments in New York. Panelists include U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus; Alexander; Simmons; and Assemblymember Michaelle Solages.
The event comes as New York continues studying potential reparations remedies. In 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation that established a commission to examine the lasting impacts of slavery and discrimination and recommend possible remedies.
Hosted by the chapter's Arts & Letters and Social Action committees, the program will provide information about reparations initiatives and ongoing policy discussions at the state and federal levels.
The free, ticketed event will take place Saturday, June 20, at Brooklyn College's New Ingersoll Building, Room 148, Skurnick Lecture Hall. Doors open at 9:30am and programming will run from 10:30am to 2:00pm.
Admission is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
