AARN is a leading research organization for U.S. racial justice and reparations. Our work fills the gap between research and policy.
AARN creates a through line between the historical context, impact and forms of reconciliation and repair. We work alongside grassroots, regional, and state efforts embarking on racial justice initiatives for specific instances of historical wrongdoings. We are a collaboration among the Thurgood Marshall Center at Howard University’s School of Law, and the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.
Multidisciplinary Research
The African American Redress Network (AARN) is an innovative model for scholars and advocates to further groundbreaking work in activism and the humanities to promote racial redress for U.S. historical racial injustices by undertaking and facilitating interdisciplinary research, public education initiatives and capacity-building.
AARN provides students with the opportunity to directly engage and perform research alongside descendant communities who are advancing racial reparations.
Promoting Reparation Efforts
AARN seeks to address racial injustice through the pursuit of reparations.
We provide technical assistance to local redress efforts through research, capacity-building, advocacy, and education.
Learn about our collaborations with Evanston, IL Restorative Housing Program, Brown Grove Preservation Group, VA, Africatown, AL.
Together with FirstRepair and the International Center for Transitional Justice, we are holding working sessions with municipal reparations task force leaders. Members are learning from one another as they advance local efforts.
Mapping Local Reparations
Since January 2019, AARN has systematically researched, identified, and ArcGIS mapped instances of US reparations or efforts to redress racial harms within a human rights framework (ICJ, 2005). To date, approximately 460 instances of redress efforts were mapped across eight of nine US census regions (Census.gov, 2020). Please visit our map to learn more.
Our Work
Join the Network
Our network provides vital resources and research for racial redress efforts, and includes many local, regional and national racial justice organizations. We hope you can join our great network of activists, academics and policy makers.