Speaker: Rev. Dr. Dale B. Snyder Sr., who has served Pittsburgh Bethel AME Church since 2019, is a man of diverse accomplishments, with over 30 years of pastoral, entrepreneurial, and management experience. He is a US Army veteran with a BS degree in Corporate Management and Business Administration from David Myers University, a Degree in Black Church Studies from Ashland Theological Seminary, and Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Payne Theological Seminary.

In 2012, Rev. Snyder received the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award from the Columbus Education Association for his work to defeat Issue 5, a union-busting bill restricting collective bargaining in Ohio. Over the past years, he has led the fight for just compensation for Bethel AME’s historic land and church, which were taken by eminent domain in the 1950’s. As part of that work, he has built alliances with 7 majority White churches, including First UU. He is the current President of the Hill District Ministerial Alliance.

Presentation: Reverend Snyder’s talk opens a conversation about justice, repair, and the moral responsibility of a nation. He will explore the rise, reversal, and lasting historical impact of the Homestead Acts of the 1860s, in which the federal government granted millions of acres of land to White settlers—creating generational wealth—while newly free, formerly enslaved Africans were denied land promised them as restitution for their unrequited labor. He will show how those decisions shape the racial wealth gap and land ownership disparities of today. Come learn, reflect, and be part of the dialogue.

Location: Schweitzer Room, an Event Co-Sponsored by the Forum Committee and the Racial Justice Task Force