August 21, 2023

Faith Leader’s 40 for 40 Walk in Support of HR-40

Reparations Advocates Urge Action on HR-40 Alarmed at Biden’s Inaction on an Executive Order

The HR-40 Strategy Group, a broad-based coalition of civil rights, human rights, faith, labor and reparations leaders will meet Rev. Dr. Robert Turner, Senior Pastor of Empowerment Temple in Baltimore, at the gates to the White House, Friday, August 25th on the eve of the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the historic March on Washington. Rev. Turner, the former Senior Pastor of the historic Vernon AME Church in Tulsa (the last remaining structure from the Tulsa Massacre), has been walking 40 miles from his Church in Baltimore to the gates to the White House once a month to call on President Biden to create the HR-40 Commission by Executive Order.  

Working in support of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, lead Sponsor for HR-40, the HR-40 Strategy Group has mobilized an unprecedented number of Co-Sponsors in the House and Senate to pass HR-40. While the prospects for passage in the House were virtually assured in the last Congress, S-40, the Senate bill had no chance of passing – which is why hundreds of organizations nationwide have joined the call for President Biden to create the HR-40 Commission to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals by Executive Order.

To date Congresswoman Jackson Lee’s appeals to the White House appear to have fallen on deaf ears as there has been no public commitment by President Biden to enact an HR-40 Executive Order.  This is the backdrop for the decision by the HR-40 Strategy Group to gather at the gates to the White House at the conclusion of Rev. Turner’s 40 for 40 Walk to intensify the appeal to President Biden to act now!

Commenting on the purpose of the August 25th action, Dr. Ron Daniels, Facilitator of the HR-40 Strategy Group said: “We applaud Rev. Turner for his visionary act in Walking over 400 miles during his monthly pilgrimages to the gates of the White House. There is no better time than the eve of the historic March on Washington to remind President Biden and the nation of Dr. King’s call for the fulfillment of the ‘Promissory Note’ that keeps coming back marked insufficient funds. Reparations is the ultimate fulfillment of the Promissory Note for African Americans. Biden needs to make a firm commitment to create the HR-40 Commission by Executive Order.” 

The Strategy Group is inviting several notable leaders to meet Rev. Turner at the gates of the White House on August 25th.

What: HR-40 Support Action at the White House with Press Availability

When: Friday, August 25th, 3:00 PM EST

Who: Representatives of the HR-40 Strategy Group, Rev. Dr. Robert Turner and Invited reparations leaders and advocates:

• Congressman Jamaal Bowman (invited)  

• Congresswoman Cori Bush (invited)

• Rev. Frederick D. Haynes, President, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition (confirmed)

• Rev. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, President/CEO, NNPA (confirmed)

• Rev. Lennox Yearwood, President, The Hip Hop Caucus (confirmed)

• Dr. Juliane Malveaux, Educator, Author, Political Economist (confirmed)

• Kamm Howard, Executive Director, Reparations United (confirmed)

• Hilary Shelton, National Advisor of Governance and Policy, NAACP (confirmed)

• Dr. E. Faye Williams, President, Dick Gregory Society (confirmed)

• Bishop Vashti Mackenzie, President, National Council of Churches (invited)             

• Bishop John Bryant, AME Church (invited)  

• David Inouye, President, Japanese American Civic League (invited)  

• Janice Mathis, Esq. General Counsel, National Council of Negro Women (Invited)          

• Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization for Progress (POP) (invited)              

• Dr. Ron Daniels, Facilitator, HR-40 Strategy Group (confirmed)

For further information contact Don Rojas at [email protected]  

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