At 8:50 p.m. on March 22, City Council adopted Resolution 37-R-27 authorizing the implementation of the Evanston Local Reparations Restorative Housing Program and the initial program budget of $400,000. The majority of the public comments at the City Council meeting were in response to Special Order of Business SP3, adoption of the nation’s first local […]
Category: Reparations
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Landmark Reparations Proposal Approved By City Council
Evanston City Council members approved a landmark reparations resolution on March 22, setting in motion housing assistance for eligible Black residents to redress some of the injustices they suffered over a half century of discriminatory practices. In an 8-1 vote, aldermen approved the resolution in support of a restorative housing program, which is the first […]
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D.C. Lawyer Claims Evanston Reparations Unconstitutional
A Washington D.C. based attorney, C. Boyden Gray, has written a letter to Mayor Stephe H. Hagerty and members of City Council, stating in part, “I write on behalf of the Project on Fair Representation, a not-for-profit legal defense foundation that believes racial and ethnic classifications are unconstitutional, unfair, and harmful. The purpose of this […]
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Alderwoman Fleming Opposes Resolution 37-R-27:‘If We’re Doing Reparations, Let’s Do Reparations Right’
Submitted by Cicely Fleming At the March 22 City Council virtual meeting, aldermen will be voting on the adoption of Resolution 37-R-27, which authorizes the implementation of the “Local Reparations Restorative Housing Program and Program Budget” and the initial program budget of $400,000. (See Section VII SP3 of the agenda.) As the only Evanston elected […]
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City Posts Draft Guidelines for the City’s Reparations Restorative Housing Program
On the evening of March 17, the City posted draft Guidelines for the City’s Local Reparations Restorative Housing Program on its website. It is expected that the Guidelines will be discussed, and perhaps acted upon, by City Council at its March 22 meeting. While most of the Guidelines have been discussed by the City’s Reparations […]
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City Answers Questions on Local Reparations, Community Members Invited to Apply for City’s Reparations Committee
Submitted by the City of Evanston City Answers Questions on Local Reparations, Community Members Invited to Apply for City’s Reparations Committee The City of Evanston today provided community members with answers to frequently asked questions regarding Evanston Local Reparations and the proposed Restorative Housing Program. The FAQs are available on the City’s Reparations webpage, at […]
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Critics of Restorative Housing Reparations Program Voice Concern and Anger Ahead of Vote by City Council
Residents who formed the group “Evanston Rejects Racist Reparations” staged a protest at 10:30 a.m. on March 6 in front of the Med/Men cannabis dispensary at 1804 Maple Ave., where 35 to 40 people gathered, including speakers, supporters and members of the media. The protest was first announced by former Evanston mayoral candidate Sebastian Nalls […]
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Evanston Group Rejects Restorative Housing Reparations Program, Launches Effort to Hold Off March Vote
Leading the way has its advantages and its challenges. Evanston has been making headlines as the first U.S. city to fund reparations for Black residents. But the roll-out of a program to even begin to repair the harm that stems from the legacy of slavery has at times been controversial. A statement posted on Facebook […]
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Draft Guidelines Set Minimal Proof to Qualify for Proposed Housing Reparations Program
On Feb. 25, Kimberly Richardson, Deputy City Manager, made a brief presentation about draft guidelines to qualify for one of the housing reparations programs being recommended by the City’s Reparations Subcommittee. The Reparations Fund In November 2019, City Council decided to create a Reparations Fund and to deposit up to $10 million in City tax […]
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City of Evanston Seeks Feedback on Restorative Housing Reparations Program
Submitted by the City of Evanston The City of Evanston and the Reparations Subcommittee are soliciting feedback on the City’s Restorative Housing Reparations program. The survey, available at surveymonkey.com/r/COEReparations, is intended to gather input from current or former Black or African American Evanston residents along with individuals who may be direct descendants of a Black or African American resident […]