Evanston, Ill. is taking major steps towards righting the wrongs of slavery by making a series of reparations payments to some of its Black residents. On Feb. 5, the city — located 12 miles north of downtown Chicago — issued $25,000 payments to 44 qualifying residents, according to an announcement from the city’s Reparations Committee.
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Although other cities and states have debated plans for reparations for the descendants of slaves, Evanston made history in 2019, when it became the first American city to take serious action.
Looking for solutions to address the racial wealth gap among the city’s residents, the Evanston City Council held a series of community meetings in which they determined that access to affordable housing was one of the biggest concerns for Black residents.
In 2021, Evanston’s City Council approved a plan to make reparations payments to Black residents and the descendants of Black residents who lived in the city between 1919 and 1969 – the period before the city banned housing discrimination. – which can be applied towards a home purchase, mortgage assistance, or the cost of home improvements. According to the plan, the city hopes to dole out $10 million in payments over ten years.
Qualifying residents are issued a selection number, which guarantees their place in line to receive their payment. But as they roll out the process, the city council is encouraging Black residents to have patience as the program is funded. According to the city’s website, funding for the reparations payments will come from real estate taxes and a sales tax on cannabis sales.
“It’s really important for people to understand we pay as we have the money, and it’s not that we’re withholding from paying everyone. It’s just we have to accumulate the funds to make sure we can pay,” Evanston City Council Member Krissie Harris told The Daily Northwestern in an interview.
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