The Episcopal Diocese of New York has opened a new phase of racial reparations with a public roadmap. The racial reparations report outlines how it will invest nearly $1.2 million, with the funds first committed in 2019. The racial reparations report was released on March 17, and it frames the work as long-term. Bishop Matthew F. Heyd said the diocese aims to weave the recommendations into every ministry. Campaigns for racial reparations have grown among U.S. religious groups, and other Episcopal dioceses have started similar efforts.
A Three-Part Process Anchors the Plan
The racial reparations report sets out three connected tracks for repair. It calls for educating congregations about the diocese’s racist history, and it urges investment in Black communities. It also frames reparations through a spiritual lens because the commission wants repair to shape worship and practice. Heyd created the 12-member Moses Commission last summer to carry the work forward. The Rev. Marisa Sifontes, chair and a priest at St. James’ Church in Manhattan, said the group sought guidance from Black Episcopalians.
Education, Pilgrimage, and Centering Black Voices
The report says New York Episcopalians profited from the transatlantic slave trade and helped sustain anti-Black policies. It recommends video curricula and pilgrimages to historical markers, and it says Heyd should take the first symbolic pilgrimage. The report also insists Black voices lead the effort. It calls for six Black members on the commission board at all times, so white-led institutions do not shape the work.
Community Ministry Centers and Long-Term Funding
The report proposes three reparative community ministry centers based in Black congregations. Each center would choose projects after listening sessions on education, health care, and housing. The plan also calls for spiritual nourishment that weaves Black culture and leadership into each project. The commission urges trustees to assess additional investment and recommends raising the diocesan budget share from 0.5% to 1%. It allows outside funding, but it warns that outside gifts must not replace sacrificial diocesan giving.
Supporters and Detractors Weigh the Stakes
Supporters say the racial reparations report turns apology into action, and they want accountability through Black leadership. They also welcome updates planned for the November 2026 diocesan convention. Detractors point to other efforts that faced tensions and funding hurdles, including struggles reported in Virginia, and they worry sustainability will falter.
NY Episcopal Diocese outlines plan for $1.2M racial reparations fund
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