Reparations Committee

The Reparations Committee is a subcommittee of the Diocesan Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island. Its mission is to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.”

The committee was formed in response to the Episcopal Church’s commitment “to become a transformed, anti-racist church and to work toward healing, reconciliation, and a restoration of wholeness to the family of God.” The Committee formed the Barbara C. Harris Scholars Program at the request of Bishop Provenzano with the intent to further equity in education.

Episcopal Diocese of Long Island Awards 100K in Scholarships to Descendants of Enslaved People

The Barbara C. Harris Scholars Program for Truth and Reparations

This scholarship program is named in honor of the life, legacy, and ordained ministry of the Right Reverend Barbara C. Harris, the first woman of African-American descent to be consecrated as a bishop in the Anglican Communion.

The Barbara C. Harris Scholars Program aims to promote equity in education by providing financial assistance to Blacks, African Americans and Caribbean-Americans, who are African Descendants of Slavery in the United States and the Caribbean.

Apply for the 2024 Scholarship

2024 Application: Barbara C. Harris Scholarship

2024 Application: Diocese of Long Island Trade/Vocational Scholarship

The Reparations Committee with Bishop Provenzano

Contact the Reparations Committee

Chair: Penny Grinage

Please direct any questions to: reparations@diocesesli.org

Applications for the Barbara Harris Scholarship are now available.

Episcopal Diocese of Long Island Invests $90K in Reparations at 2023 Juneteenth Jubilee

$5,000 scholarships were awarded to sixteen college students demonstrating scholarly achievement and commitment to their communities. All scholars are the descendants of enslaved people who exhibited exceptional academic excellence and dedicated themselves to creating a more just world in their communities.

Life and Legacy of Barbara C. Harris

Barbara Clementine Harris was born on June 12, 1930, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Harris, whose maternal great-grandmother, Ida Brauner Sembley, was born into slavery, was active in the Civil Rights Movement of the nineteen sixties. She was a member of the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity (ESCRU), and the National Council of Churches’ Delta Ministry. She participated in the Freedom Rides, as well as traveled to Greenville, Mississippi to register Black voters. Harris also marched alongside thousands of nonviolent demonstrators to the steps of the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama as part of the Selma to Montgomery March lead by The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. At the time of her death, March 13, 2020, Harris served as Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.

Bishop Harris was a remarkable woman; one of God's chosen to bring change and advocate for the inclusion of women, Black people, and LGBTQ+ individuals who had been marginalized and discriminated against. Her advocacy brought about historic change to the Episcopal Church and its leadership hierarchy.

Photo via Episcopal Archives.

Scholarship Eligibility

To be eligible for consideration applicants must be:

Black, African American, and/or Caribbean American and must be a direct descendant of African people who were enslaved in the United States or the Caribbean
Be a U.S. citizen or hold permanent resident status
Reside in the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island (Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk)
Be starting, or continuing to pursue, post-secondary education at an accredited college or university or advanced vocational or trade union training program
Applicants do not have to be Episcopalian.
Successful applicants will demonstrate scholarly achievement, leadership skills, involvement in their communities, and a commitment to continuing education.
Applicants must submit a completed application, high-school transcripts, and two letters of recommendation to HarrisScholars@dioceseli.org by 11:59 pm (Eastern) on April 30, 2024.

One-time college scholarships of $5,000, and comparable amounts for vocational training/trade apprenticeship fees, will be available to award recipients through their college, university or occupational training institution. Scholarship monies will not be awarded directly to award recipients.