Legacy of Slavery Project

Charge to the Atkins-Cuba Legacy Project: Enlist First Church members and friends to establish an Atkins-Cuba Legacy Project (ACLP) 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 ACLP 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 ACLP will share this understanding with the congregation to promote awareness and inclusion in any recommendations proposed as a result of this understanding.