Reparations Daily (ish) Vol. 99

There Are New Suns: Building a Transformative Narrative for the Black Reparations Movement

Oct 18, 2023

Friends —

Over the past two years, I’ve had the immense privilege of holding the role of Director of Narrative Change at Liberation Ventures, where I launched a program called the Reparations Narrative Lab. The Lab’s charge is a simple one: build a piece of narrative infrastructure within the reparations movement to support the strengthening of narrative power to increase public support for reparations.

In the Lab’s first year, we brought together 13 brilliant activists, strategists, organizers, and leaders throughout the racial justice field to create a narrative schema that we hope can be a tool to increase participation in the reparations conversation and build a transformative narrative alongside others throughout the movement.

Today, I am proud to announce that the work we've done over the past year is now available at reparationsnarrativelab.org. The site includes the narrative schematic, framing activities, a timeline of the movement for Black liberation, briefs from different leaders across the movement, and our culminating report titled "There Are New Suns: Building a Transformative Narrative for the Black Reparations Movement."

The report sheds light on the narrative challenges, all of which are rooted in anti-Blackness, that hinder the reparations movement, synthesizes the wide range of framing research related to reparations, offers insights on the diversity of Black audiences and strategies to engage them, poetry, stories, and resources for how to join and support the building of narrative power for this movement.

This work has been a true labor of love and has admittedly taken so much of my time over the last year that I have not been able to fulfill my promises to this newsletter, and for that, I apologize.

Since our last edition, there has been a flurry of news in the reparations space. I hope you find the time to explore not only the articles curated below but also the report and microsite. As you delve into these resources, I urge you to consider them in the context of the thousands of lives that have been lost in Palestine and Israel and what repair and liberation might look like in that context.

My colleagues and I went back and forth about whether we should release the report during such a heartwrenching time for so many people — just a few hours ago, 500 Palestinians were killed in a Gaza hospital. We ultimately decided to release the report and microsite in hopes that it will be supportive to those who are currently grappling with the nuances of how to solve the issues of imperialism, colonialism, war, apartheid, nationalism, violence, xenophobia, and anti-Blackness. Although the report, microsite, and newsletter center and uplift the struggle for reparations for Black people, it stands in solidarity with all oppressed people across the world.

In challenging times, I often seek solace in the words of bell hooks. She once said, “The moment we choose to love, we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love, we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others.”

I hope that in these trying times, we can not only grasp the depth of her words but also steer ourselves, our organizations, and our movements toward this notion of radical love. While it might seem idealistic in our current context, I genuinely believe it is our only path forward.

With gratitude, determination, and radical love,
Trevor

Opinion: There are New Suns

When I began writing the report, I asked myself, “What did Octavia Butler mean when she wrote, ‘There is nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns?’

To me, the symbolism of “new suns” brings forth the idea that even after the most profound amount of darkness, there is always an opportunity for light. In the broader context of race and racial injustice, the idea of “new suns” reverberates loudly with the aspirations and demands of Black people seeking reparations for centuries worth of historical wrongs.

Over the past two years, I’ve had the opportunity to have conversations with dozens of activists throughout the reparations movement, and if there is any learning that sticks out, it is that the call for reparations is not merely an act of seeking compensation or closing the Black-white wealth gap. It is an assertion that while the past cannot be changed, the future offers a chance for transformation and, more importantly, liberation.

Herein lies the inherent connection between reparations and the idea of “new suns.” Just as the sun rises anew each day after the stillness of the night, the call for reparations represents a new day that not only can usher forth a brighter future but also squash centuries’ worth of darkness and oppression.

In the report, we delve into the concept of hope, especially regarding the ‘hope gap’ — the disparity within Black communities between support for reparations and the belief in its realization within their lifetimes. Bridging this gap is crucial for propelling the movement forward.

Accomplishing this will require a form of radical alignment — and that is where the concept of narrative comes into play. Radical alignment implies more than just mere agreement — it signifies a deeply rooted shared commitment to a vision, or what we would call a Narrative North Star. By fostering radical alignment around a shared vision, the reparations movement can weave together the array of voices needed to create a powerful and united story that speaks to the heart and purpose of this movement.

Together, with the 13 activists who participated in the Lab, we crafted the following Narrative North Star. While it cannot speak for the entirety of the movement, we hope it offers a guiding light for how we might start to align radically around the world we aim to build. Although the structural challenges and patterns of today bear a stubborn resemblance to those of the past, I believe so deep in my soul that this global movement can usher in new eras, new interpretations, new solutions, and most importantly, new suns.

The Reparations Narrative Lab’s Narrative North Star

It’s true.

‍In this new world, Black lives not only matter, they are also embraced, welcomed, cherished, celebrated, and deeply loved.

It’s peaceful here; Black people can inhale deeply.

Exhale freely.

When we wake in the morning, money is not on our mind. Surprise! Stranger things have happened.

No one has just one home because we’ve formed homes in our relationships, in each other.

There’s a selflessness in the air—gifting is the standard, and selling is the oddity.

For some reason, everything tastes sweeter.

Black dance, song, and art are cherished and properly admired.

In a way, it feels like we’ve pushed the reset button. Black minds, hearts, and souls have been restored.

We’ve finally figured out how to distribute the abundance of resources we’ve always had.

We didn't just tell the truth; we chose to go down a new path and hold it close forever.

Land has been returned. Leaves and trees still fall, but no one claims them as their own.

If harm occurs, we don't banish; we embrace. Accountability as a value and practice runs through us.

Caring is neither womanly nor manly—we've abandoned that concept. We care for all at all times.

Anti-blackness does not exist here. Truly. Imagine that

In fact, we’ve unraveled our construction of race and finally concluded it’s much easier to love than to hate.

Yes, we are rich with Black joy here. Stranger things have happened!

Of course, there was struggle, tension, and conflict along the way—but our elders and ancestors warned us there would be.

Guided by their wisdom, we persevered, and through that struggle, we,

The collective we,

Up from the ground,

Repaired and transformed the world.

There are no utopias. But damn, it feels good to be here.

Well, well, well. It seems we finally found our way.

Dr. Marcus Hunter, who authored Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of a Nation, wrote a narrative brief for the RNL microsite titled ‘Reparations as a Political, Cultural, and Economic Project. Check it out and buy his book!
We offer a few framing activities based on the narrative schematic we developed — I particularly like the Becoming Reparationists and Radical Solidarity framing activities.
Sadly, Hughes Van Ellis, one of the last remaining survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre, passed away — the Washington Post wrote an article about Viola Fletcher, who is 109 and still calling on the city to commit to reparations.
The New Jersey legislature continues to stall on passing a reparations task force bill, so organizers across the state have launched their own reparations council, which will include nine public hearings and a report detailing what reparations could look like across the state.
A month ago, the United Nations released a report calling on countries to commit to financial reparations for the transatlantic slave trade.
A UC Berkeley poll found that most people support addressing the harms of slavery through reparations, as detailed by the LA Times.