FHC launches landmark loan-forgiveness program
Forest Hill Presbyterian Church (FHC) has introduced a racial-equity initiative to address the financial burden of student-loan debt among Black women. The church is accepting applications on a rolling basis for its Racial Repair Education Debt Program, which will pay off undergraduate loans for eligible applicants.
The program will give priority to Black individuals who self-identify as female or non-binary, are residents of Cleveland Heights, and have graduated from a post-secondary institution. To request an application, make a contribution, or get more information, e-mail office@fhcpresb.org.
The program, which launched in September, marks a first-of-its-kind effort in Ohio that is drawing national attention. Rev. Jermaine Ross-Allam, director of the Presbyterian Church USA’s Center for Repair of Historic Harms, attended the launch event to highlight the significance of the initiative. The program is designed to not only ease the financial strain on recipients but also to serve as a model for future repair efforts across the country.
Marina Grant, co-chair of the Repair & Restorative Task Force at FHC, said that the first recipients of the loan forgiveness program will be announced within the coming months. “We’re expecting to select one or two recipients initially,” Grant said. “But we’re hopeful this project will grow.”
Sonji Kenyatta, the other co-chair, expressed optimism about the program's potential to inspire broader action. “Our hope is that other churches and civic organizations will come together to create an umbrella group dedicated to addressing the historic and ongoing harms caused by racism,” Kenyatta said.
The idea for the loan forgiveness program came after years of research and discussion by the church’s Repair & Restoration Task Force. Congregants were deeply involved in crafting the program, contributing ideas and support. After examining various forms of repair-related action, the task force decided to focus on student-loan forgiveness, citing the disproportionate burden of educational debt on Black graduates, particularly Black women. Kenyatta emphasized that Black women face a unique set of challenges due to both racial and gender wage gaps, and many are also primary caregivers in their families.
Although members of FHC today were not involved in the discriminatory practices that plagued Cleveland Heights from the 1930s to the 1960s, the church acknowledges that many benefited from those policies. The church recognizes that past segregationist practices continue to contribute to disparities in wealth, income, education, and health. Church members believe this new loan-forgiveness program represents a meaningful, if modest, step toward addressing ongoing inequalities.
The initiative is part of a broader racial repair movement that is gaining traction across the country. As FHC leads the charge locally, it is hoping to spark conversations about racial equity and inspire action among other faith-based and civic organizations.
Forest Hill Church’s Repair & Restoration Task Force comprises Mark Chupp, Danielle Cosgrove, Marina Grant, Jeannine Gury, Sonji Kenyatta, and Quentin Smith.
Quentin Smith
Quentin Smith is a member of Forest Hill Church, Presbyterian, and its Racial Repair & Restoration Task Force.