The Art of Reparations is a global movement rooted in creativity, healing, and justice. We bring together artists, creatives, cultural organizers, arts administrators, and community leaders into dialogue about how their gifts can advance the movement for reparations. Through our podcast, workshops in schools, philanthropic institutions, and cultural organizations, as well as curated travel journeys across the African Diaspora, we create spaces for reflection, imagination, and action. From community conversations to group art exhibitions, The Art of Reparations harnesses the power of art and storytelling to inspire collective responsibility and reimagine a more just and liberated future.
Catherine Mbali Green-Johnson
Founder, Cultural Leader, Reparationist, Community Curator
Catherine Mbali Green-Johnson is a visionary cultural leader and reparationist with over 20 years of experience in arts administration, community advocacy, and social justice. She chairs the East New York African Burial Ground Committee, leading a $7 million restoration to honor and protect this sacred site.
As Founder of The Art of Reparations, Catherine unites artists, creatives, and communities through workshops, public programs, and in 2025, a new podcast amplifying dialogue on reparative justice. She also serves as Director of Programs at The Laundromat Project, supporting artists and neighbors as change agents.
Previously, she founded ARTs East New York and launched the ReNew Lots Market and Artist Incubator, transforming vacant land into hubs for entrepreneurs and artists. Appointed to NYC’s Cultural Affairs Advisory Committee, she helped shape the city’s first cultural plan centered on equity and inclusion.
Rooted in imagination, storytelling, and ancestral research, Catherine bridges history, art, and activism—preserving cultural memory while building radical, sustainable futures for communities of color.