Thy Kingdom Come

This chapter explores the relationship between resistance and restorative justice within the Movement for Black Lives (BLM). Using Breonna Taylor’s death and her mother Tamika Palmer’s activism as a starting point, Williamson examines how restorative justice (RJ) — typically focused on healing and reconciliation — can both help and harm struggles for racial and social justice.
He critiques how RJ, when applied in Western systems, can unintentionally perpetuate structural racism, co-opt Indigenous traditions, and “privatize” public injustices like police violence or domestic abuse. Yet, Williamson also highlights how a reimagined, “colorized” restorative justice can promote transformation if it centers on marginalized voices and embraces the Ubuntu philosophy — the African notion that resistance and reconciliation are inextricably linked.
Through interviews with activists like Stachelle Bussey in Louisville, the chapter concludes that faith-inspired activism grounded in community care, solidarity, and resistance embodies Christ-like justice.