Why You Should Start a FiveFreedmen Reading Circle Today!
By Roslyn Mickens
The New Year 2023 is starting and most people are aware of the contributions of the great Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. and remember his renowned “I Have A Dream” speech. However, one lesser known
speech that should be more prominent is the speech unofficially named “We’re Coming to Get Our
Check.” As many know, civil rights for Blacks was only part of MLK Jr.’s plan. His next campaign was to
fight for economic equity. In the speech, he points out how land grants, land grant colleges, county
agents, training, low interest rates and millions of dollars of subsidies were given to white people by the
government. But on the other hand, Blacks are told to gain economic wealth in America on our own -
with no assistance from the federal government. Click here to hear a clip from this speech:
https://youtu.be/aBwKnnZN52U
Dr. King’s speech merely highlights the government hand-outs and benefits given to European whites as
most of this information is not taught in schools. Dr. Martin Luther King, also, speaks of reparations in his
speech posted by The Root in this video: https://youtu.be/9N-m9RcZGkc.
In continuing the message of economic equity by Dr. King, many activist groups across the country like
the DMV Freedmen (based in Washington D.C./Maryland/No. Virginia), the Freedmen Descendants of
Chicago, and Nevada Freedmen Association for example are actively participating in and advocating for
reparations book clubs. In particular, they are reading Dr. Darity and A. Kirsten Mullens’ book entitled
“From Here To Equality: Second Edition” (with the manila colored cover) from the University of North
Carolina Press and “The Black Reparations Project”, which is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.
The reparations book clubs are organized under FiveFreedmen.com website. The site is designed to
guide teams of five (5) readers who participate in the reading circle. The group meets weekly in person
or virtually to discuss the chapters and to delve deeply into the history and the economics of lineage
based reparations for Black Americans who descend from chattel slaves here in the U.S. Upon organizing
the group of five readers, a member should email FiveFreedmen@gmail.com to report their zip code
which will be tracked on a map on the website.
In their book “From Here to Equality: Second Ed.”, Dr. William A. Darity Jr. contributes economic expertise
and information from having over 34 years of economics study on reparations from institutions like
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Duke University. A. Kirsten Mullens, a renowned
historian and storyteller, explains the history of reparations and the reasons why the debt is owed to
American Freedmen (people who descend from Emancipated people in 1865 in the United States.) For
additional reading, the follow-up book “The Black Reparations Project: A Handbook for Racial Justice” is
recommended. This book depicts what American Freedmen Reparations looks like and is a must-have
book.
So why should one start a reparations reading circle under the FiveFreedmen.com? In light of the news
in California, where reparations activist organizations like CJEC (https://www.cjec-official.org/ ) are
working with state officials to determine what constitutes reparations and how much should be paid to
its Freedmen residents, the goal of the FiveFreedmen.com is to get more people across the country to
understand what “pure” reparations are, the criteria for lineage, and what they can do to move along the
process of redress. One does not have to be a Freedmen to start or participate in a reading circle. Allies
are welcome.
To start your reading circle, purchase both books “From Here to Equality” (the Second Edition) and “The
Black Reparations Project “, gather four other friends or family members, and start your own Five
Freedmen reading group today! With many states and organizations using the term “reparations” it is
sometimes difficult to discern what is fair, equitable, and true reparations for American Freedmen.
Studying these books will provide you a detailed understanding of what YOU should be fighting for in
your own state and federally. No one is coming to save us but ourselves. But first we must arm ourselves
with knowledge.
In January continue the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his quest for reparations for the American
Freedmen by taking an active part in a FiveFreedmen.com reading circle near you.
Share this article and this link with your family and friends. https://fivefreedmen.com/
Have a Happy and Prosperous New Year in 2023!
