Walking a Path to Repair

Walking a Path to Repair: Join the 40th #40Milesfor40 Acres

Dear Friends,

As we approach the annual commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we are reminded that King’s legacy is not merely a dream to recall, but a call to repair a broken promise. In his seminal speech, Dr. King spoke of America giving its Black citizens “a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’” Six decades later, that check remains uncashed, and the debt of justice, compounded by centuries of systemic harm, remains unpaid. How do F/friends feel led by integrity for #reparations?

On MLK Day, January 19th, a profound opportunity to move beyond commemoration into dedicated action will occur. You are invited join 40th walk of #40Milesfor40Acres, (#404040). This is a growing movement of solidarity and repair inspired by powerful leadership of Dr. Reverend Robert Turner of Empowerment Temple AME in Baltimore.

Reverend Turner rose to national prominence as pastor of historic Vernon AME Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma—ground zero of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre—has channeled his prophetic witness into a tangible roadmap for healing and justice. His essential book, Creating a Culture of Repair: Taking Action on the Road to Reparations, is moral reckoning and a practical guide. As Senator Cory Booker notes, it is a “thought- provoking road map for righting past wrongs.” Reverend Turner dedicates his work to ancestors, “none of whom have ever received reparations.” Turner issues a compassionate, urgent,and prophetic call across these United States to gather all people of conscience.

The #4Milesfor40Acres walk symbolically references the broken promise of “40 acres and a mule” made to newly freed Black Americans after the Civil War. Each step taken is an act of remembrance, education, and commitment to ongoing struggles in reparative justice. Reverend Turner’s work, praised by voices of reparations task force leaders, makes clear that reparations are about more than financial compensation; they are about a multidimensional repair of individuals, communities, institutions, and our nation’s spirit.

We invite you to walk with us on January 19th. Let us walk in the spirit of Dr. King, who understood that the “American nightmare” of racial injustice requires active, transformative repair. Let us walk in the footsteps of Reverend Turner, who reminds us that “faith without works is dead.” Let our collective steps be a physical pledge to engage in the “one hundred definitive steps” toward justice that his book outlines.

This 40th walk is a new milestone. Let us mark it in powerful, prayerful, and committed presence from our integrity. May peace and simplicity in community take a stand alongside our siblings in the AME Church with all who work to create a culture of repair.

Event Details:

• What: The 40th #40Milesfor40Acres Solidarity Walk
• When: Monday, January 19th (MLK Day) | Time 6am  Departing Carroll Gardens Park Baltimore to approximately 9pm arriving @ White House (check for additional local announcements and how to join on day of)
• Where: Location Departing Carroll Gardens Park Baltimore arriving @ White House (offering support local solidarity walks may also be organized)
• Why: To stand for reparative justice, honor the legacy of MLK, and support the transformative work led by Rev. Dr. Robert Turner.

Let’s plan to join, to walk, and to deepen our own commitment to repairing the breach. For more information on Reverend Turner’s work and the movement, we encourage you to seek out his vital book, Creating a Culture of Repair. In peace and solidarity,
South Jersey Quakers