A report from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s NYS Reparations Commission has been delayed until 2029, nearly four years past its original 2025 deadline. But despite the setback, a NYC advocacy group is pushing to keep the discussion about reparations and the impact of slavery on Black New Yorkers moving forward. 

The Brooklyn Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., which focuses on social action, will host a community conversation about what they describe as restorative justice, as well as potential reparations remedies, at Brooklyn College on June 20, the day after Juneteenth. 

The event comes after lawmakers this year extended the deadline for the state’s Reparations Commission report to 2029. The commission was established in December 2023 to study reparations and racial justice in New York. 

The centerpiece of the June 20 gathering is a screening of the documentary, “The Big Payback.” It is a film directed by Erika Alexander, and focuses on the journey of former Evanston, IL, politician Robin Simmons, who led the effort to pass the first tax-funded reparations legislation for Black Americans in 2019. 

The Evanston City Council voted to dedicate the first $10 million generated over the next decade from cannabis sales tax to fund a local reparations program. The program has been both lauded and criticized since it became the first tax-funded reparations initiative in the U.S.

Kenya Johnson, president of the local sorority chapter, said New Yorkers should stay informed and involved in discussions about reparations.

“As we navigate these historic conversations on local, state, and federal levels, it is vital that our community is informed, engaged, and actively participating in the dialogue around reparative justice,” she said.

NYS Assembly Member Michaelle Solages (D-Nassau), who introduced legislation to assemble a reparations committee alongside State Sen. James Sanders., Jr, (D-Queens) will join U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-Brooklyn), Simmons and Alexander at the Saturday event to discuss the documentary, reparations remedies and related topics. 

The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. on June 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at  Brooklyn College (New Ingersoll 148, Skurnick Lecture Hall). 

Solages, along with the state Reparations Commission, held a public hearing on reparations for slavery in her district at Hempstead High School, on May 23. The event gave Long Islanders an opportunity to share testimony and experiences as the commission works on its report addressing the issue in NYS.

“The legacy of segregation and discrimination did not end with emancipation, and communities across Long Island continue to feel its impact today,” Solages posted on social media the day of the public hearing. 

For more information about Saturday’s event, visit eventbrite.com.