A Reparations Rap Session to Advance Strategic Dialogue on Reparatory Justice
New York, NY – April 2, 2025 — On Thursday, April 17, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (EST), leading reparations advocates from across the African Diaspora will gather in Harlem for THE GARVEY TALKS: A Reparations Rap Session. Hosted at Manhattan Community Board 9 (3291 Broadway, between 132nd & 133rd Streets), this event is an official side event of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.
With the theme “Reparatory Justice for Africa and People of African Descent,” the session will explore lessons learned, strategic solutions, and the collective path forward. Featured panelists include members of the Caricom Reparations Commission and the National African-American Reparations Commission. The dialogue will be moderated by Reverend Kobi Little, Dean of Justice Chapel.
The event takes place on the historic anniversary of Haiti being forced, in 1825, to pay an “independence debt” to France—an unjust burden that has had lasting effects on Global African people. This moment in history highlights the urgency of centering reparatory justice in global policy and community healing.
Taking place during the African Union’s Year of Reparations, The Garvey Talks will serve as a platform for uniting movements, visioning justice, and reaffirming the global demand for repair.
This program is sponsored by the following organizations:
UNIA Jamaica – The Jamaican division of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, founded by Marcus Garvey, working to advance the cause of Pan-African unity, economic justice, and cultural empowerment.
United Maroon Indigenous Peoples – A coalition representing the interests of Maroon communities and Indigenous peoples advocating for sovereignty, ancestral land rights, and reparatory justice.
FirstRepair – A U.S.-based organization founded by Dr. Robin Rue Simmons that works with local and national governments to implement reparations for Black Americans.
Justice Chapel – A faith-based justice initiative led by Reverend Kobi Little that centers moral leadership, public policy, and community organizing in the pursuit of equity and repair.
Teaching Artist Institute (TAI) – A global collective of creatives, educators, and activists using art as a tool for diplomacy, cultural exchange, and social transformation through an African and Indigenous lens.
National African-American Reparations Commission (NAARC) – A body of scholars, activists, and leaders that develops and advocates for comprehensive reparations programs and public education in the U.S.
For more information, please contact Steven Golding, President of UNIA Jamaica, at [email protected].
