Athens Churches Award Reparations to Black Linnentown Descendants

Members of two Athens churches distributed checks to descendants of Black families whose homes were taken by the City of Athens and the University of Georgia in the 1960s—a first of its kind attempt at reparations, according to organizers. Predominantly white Oconee Street United Methodist Church and predominantly Black Ebenezer Baptist Church West formed a group called Athens Reparations Action and worked together to raise $120,000 for the families of 10 former Linnentown homeowners. They distributed checks to family representatives during a June 23 ceremony at Ebenezer. “We know no amount of money can repair the harm that was suffered, so what we are offering today is a token of honor and respect,” said Alys Willman, co-chair of Athens Reparations Action with Chaplain Cole Knapper. Organizers said that, to their knowledge, it was the first attempt to privately raise funds for reparations for past harm done to Black Americans. “It isn’t being done anywhere in the country the way we are doing it here in Athens, Georgia, and we are very proud of that,” Knapper said. “People of faith do not have to wait for government to act to create local solutions,” Knapper continued. “We don’t have to wait on...