Legacy of Slavery Project

Charge to the Atkins-Cuba Legacy Task Force: Enlist First Church members and friends to establish an Atkins-Cuba Legacy Task Force (ACLTF) to explore and develop an understanding of the First Church in Belmont’s ties with slavery during the nineteenth century, through the substantial benefactions of the Atkins family. Informed in part by the UUA Commission on Institutional Change, the ACLTF will research other similarly situated organizations (e.g., churches, schools and universities) to learn how these organizations have developed awareness of their own historical ties to slavery, as well as any formal steps they have contemplated or taken in response. The ACLTF will share this understanding with the congregation to promote awareness and inclusion in any recommendations proposed as a result of this understanding.