In early November of 2025, Aleja Hertzler-McCain and Fiona André of the Religion News Service (RNS) published an in-depth article detailing the failings of the Diocese of Virginia to take meaningful steps to fulfill it pledge to dedicate $10 million to reparative justice efforts in light of its connections to enrichment through slavery. The article was titled "Four years after promising $10M for racial reparations, Virginia's Episcopalians have little to show" and was published following interviews with members of the diocesan reparations task force. The article began: "'I felt like we were kind of misled as a task force in terms of level (of) engagement,' said one member of a reparations task force of the diocese's efforts." It appears that the robust and honest reporting on the actions of the diocese, combined with the willingness of task force members to speak forthrightly to the press, had an immediate effect. Within weeks the Diocese of Virginia announced that it had determined sources of funding for the initial pledge. Before the end of November André and Hertzler-McCain were able to publish a follow-up article titled "Virginia's Episcopal bishop says diocese identified sources for $10M reparations fund" claiming that "The announcement came after former Racial Reparations Task Force members expressed doubts over the diocese’s commitment to deliver on its 2021 promise and uncertainty about its ability to secure funding." Other Episcopal groups working on reparations should take notice: accurate reporting and a willingness to speaking openly about institutional failings can move the needle in otherwise resistant or complacent institutional bureaucracies.
The full initial article detailing failings can be found HERE. The follow-up article detailing developments can be found HERE.
Jolyon G. R. Pruszinski
Reparations Commission Research Historian
Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
