Reaping Our Reparations? A Recap of “The Cost of Inheritance” Screening

On the eve of the Army’s 250th birthday—right here in the birthplace of American democracy…Freedom rang a different kind of tune in Philadelphia.

Inside the historic Mother Bethel AME Church, the spiritual home of the nation’s first Black denomination, Philadelphia-based Reparation Works and Missouri’s Truth Telling Project hosted an intimate screening of The Cost of Inheritance, a PBS documentary exploring the case for reparations. The film—and the panel that followed—didn’t just ask if reparations are owed, but what it means to reap them in the present day.

Set beneath the powerful portraits of Black pastors from the 1800s through the civil rights era, the screening opened a portal through space and time. The Cost of Inheritance, produced by America ReFramed, skillfully weaves personal stories, archival footage, and expert insights to examine how slavery’s aftershocks still ripple into the lives of its descendants; on both sides of history.

“We’re not just talking about harm from 1860 and before,” said Reparation Works Co-Director Ant Smith. “We’re talking about the harm that’s happening right now.”

Timed just ahead of the No Kings protests—national demonstrations sounding the alarm about democracy for all (or lack thereof) in staggering decline. This event served as both a reckoning on the past and present and a future call to hope. For the attendees and panelists, it was a chance to grapple with one of the most loaded questions in America: How do we repair what was stolen?

Moderated by Reparations Works Co-Director Ant Smith, the post-film panel featured State Rep. Chris Rabb and tour guide-truth teller-historian Sister Patt Gunn. Both panelists gathered inside Mother Bethel Church for the first time, adding spiritual weight to a conversation about generational harm and healing.

“I’ve worked with distant cousins who are descendants of enslavers—and they’re also my ancestors,” said Rep. Rabb. “My connection to slavery is both through the enslaved and the enslaver. I don’t do white guilt—I do truth.”

The film also follows the story of Randy Quarkerman, descended from a man once enslaved, Zeike Quakerman. Zeike was gifted 10 acres by his enslaver George Adam Keller. The story takes a powerful turn when Randy connects with Keller’s modern-day descendant, Sarah—offering a glimpse of what truth and reconciliation might look like in real life.

“We’re not going back. And we’re not afraid,” declared Sister Patt Gunn. “I walk the streets of Savannah, Georgia, every day, where the truth about our people is still being erased. But I represent [my] ancestors.”

The conversations sparked Friday night weren’t just held in the abstract—they were deeply spiritual, emotional, and grounded in community. Reparation Works continues to push this work forward in Philadelphia and beyond, reminding us that reparations aren’t just about land or money—they’re about memory, justice, and dignity.

It’s not just about 40 acres and a mule—it’s about culture, truth, and finally being seen.