Castle of our Skins Receives Reparations Payment from Episcopal City Mission
Organization among 25 Massachusetts groups sharing $2.75 million in community-directed reparations
Castle of our Skins is honored to be among 25 Black, Indigenous and People of Color-led organizations across Massachusetts receiving a total of $2.75 million in reparations payments from Episcopal City Mission (ECM).
The payments follow a multi-year process in which ECM examined its own history and acknowledged material and spiritual harms to Black and Indigenous communities. Significantly, ECM ceded decisions about the distribution of the $2.75 million to Black and Indigenous community leaders serving as its Reparations Advisory Committee & Stewards (RACS).
For Castle of our Skins, receiving reparations is both deeply meaningful and an investment in the work we have been committed to for more than a decade.
“We are overwhelmed, grateful, and honestly still taking in the reality of receiving reparations. We never thought we would see the day when an institution would look honestly at the harm embedded in its history and make a meaningful commitment to repair. This investment will allow us to continue creating opportunities for cultural curiosity, bringing Black artistry and edu-tainment into classrooms, concert halls, and community spaces, and reaching even more people with stories, music, and experiences that celebrate Black life and creativity.” — Dr. Ciyadh Wells, Executive Director, Castle of our Skins
The 25 recipients represent work spanning housing and economic justice, Indigenous land protection, health and wellness, education, cultural preservation, criminal justice, youth organizing and community development.
“This is reparations, not simply philanthropy,” Dr. Ciyadh Wells said. “We hope this action encourages other institutions to examine their own histories, listen to impacted communities and consider what meaningful repair requires.”
ABOUT CASTLE OF OUR SKINS
Founded in 2013, Castle of our Skins is a Boston-based Black arts institution dedicated to fostering cultural curiosity and celebrating Black artistry through music. In classrooms, concert halls, and beyond, Castle of our Skins invites audiences to explore Black heritage and culture, spotlighting both unsung and celebrated figures of past and present.
