WKAR Public Media held a documentary film screening of The Cost of Inheritance on the evening of Thursday, January 18, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A. Around one hundred community members gathered for the screening and discussion in WKAR Studio A.
The Cost of Inheritance, an America ReFramed special, explores the complex issue of reparations in the U.S. using a thoughtful approach to history, historical injustices, systemic inequities, and critical dialogue on racial conciliation. The film was part of Michigan State University’s 44th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.
Randy Watkins, a professor of political science at Lansing Community College, was in attendance for the screening. Watkins shared that the film left him with a greater appreciation for family history. “I thought the panel did a great job,” Watkins said when reflecting on the discussion. “For them to go out and contact churches and other individuals and explain why these issues are important - I think that’s great.”
The discussion panel included Dr. Pero Dagbovie, associate provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and dean of the Graduate School; Dr. Jerlando F. L. Jackson, Dean and MSU Research Foundation professor of Education; Willye Bryan, founder of The Justice League of Greater Lansing; Prince-Jerold Solace, director of Congregational Life and Community Outreach at Lansing First Presbyterian Church; and Kit Carlson, pastor of All Saints Episcopal Church
When sharing their final thoughts on the film and the initiatives around reparations ahead, Dr. Jackson said, “The micro-personal reparation effort is a takeaway for me from this documentary as a potentially effective strategy we could proliferate.” Bryan said, “I am seeing the involvement of individuals who are volunteering, and white people who have come to the Justice League and said, ‘We really want to make a difference’.”
You can view the full documentary now on WKAR Video: https://video.wkar.org/video/the-cost-of-inheritance-bdzmlq/