Evanston reparations program seen as key to halting Black exodus

Residents of a Chicago suburb hope its local reparations program “could alleviate affordability pressures” as the Black population dwindles in the city, according to a new report.

The Evanston Daily, a news outlet that covers Evanston, spoke with locals about housing affordability amid a “Black exodus,” raising concern from residents.

“It’s become more about green than Black,” community activist Meleika Gardner told the Daily. “It’s about the money and who can afford to stay here.”

Rev. Michael C. R. Nabors, the president of Evanston’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, believes the city is “losing a stock of our diversity.”

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The Weber Arch at Northwestern University on Nov. 13, 2020, in Evanston, Illinois. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

“We have not been able to replace Blacks who are moving because housing has just gone up out of this world,” Nabors said. 

He continued, “For the Blacks who’ve been here for a generation or more, their parents or grandparents probably bought homes for a fraction of that amount.”

“Beyond zoning, some community members told The Daily the city’s reparations program could also help alleviate affordability pressures. Nabors said the program is a ‘major, important first step’ to address population shifts,” the outlet reported.

Evanston issued $25,000 to 44 residents in reparations payments, the City’s Reparations Committee announced in February. So far, at least 137 people have received reparations payments totaling $3.47 million, and more are expected by year’s end, reaching 171 recipients with about $4 million allocated to direct descendants.

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The program, which launched in 2019 to address past racial housing discrimination, provides $25,000 direct cash payments to Black residents and descendants of Black residents who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969. Evanston was the first U.S. city to pass a reparations plan, pledging $10 million over a decade to Black residents.

A lawsuit has been filed against the reparations program in Evanston, Illinois. (Getty Images)

“Millions of those dollars now are being used to support Black families in Evanston that have been damaged by historical racism related to housing,” Nabors added. 

However, one resident disagreed with the reparations program. Darlene Cannon told the Daily that the program is “not repairing anything.”

“We had redlining here, and my family was forced to live in the 2nd Ward instead of being given an option to live in the 6th or 7th Ward,” Cannon said. “Twenty-five thousand dollars doesn’t make up for the true damage that was caused.”

“Still, Nabors said he sees reparations as the beginning of a ‘cooperation’ between Black residents and city developers and officials. Going forward, he said building multi-unit properties could help Black residents stay in Evanston,” the Daily reported.

Evanston officials did not respond to a request for comment.

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The future of Evanston’s reparations program is in question as the city faces a lawsuit that was recently given the green light to proceed, overcoming the defendant’s case to dismiss the matter. 

Conservative group Judicial Watch represents five plaintiffs who allege the program violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. They filed the lawsuit against the reparations program over its use of race as an eligibility requirement. 

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. (Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images)

The city reacted to the judge’s ruling in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“The city is aware of the court’s recent ruling. The city will continue to vehemently defend this case,” a spokesperson for the city said.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has launched a community engagement effort called “Repair Chicago” to gather experiences of harm of Black Chicagoans as part of an effort to implement reparations.

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