latest reparations posts

Reparations Committee seeks more participation

The Reparations Committee, testing a new strategy, is carving out time in its monthly meeting for three residents to share the racial discrimination they have endured while living in Evanston. “We have found that as we do this work,…

Reparations Town Hall focuses on the work in Evanston

The meeting Friday night at Evanston Township High School’s auditorium was billed as a town hall on reparations. But the event, part of a national symposium meeting here in Evanston, was more of a celebration of Evanston’s reparations work…

Reparations leaders demand Biden act on H.R. 40

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) in Evanston Friday for a national reparations symposium, demanded that President Joe Biden put H.R. 40 in place via executive order, to set up the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for…

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‘The Big Payback’: A dream come true

The Chicago Film Festival debut of The Big Payback brought Evanston to Chicago Saturday for a screening of the new documentary that captures Evanstonian Robin Rue Simmons’ journey toward making…

MORE REPARATIONS NEWS

Town hall prompts questions on city’s reparations program

The city’s ground-breaking reparations program continues to prompt questions and comments from the community, as 38 queries flooded into the town hall hearing Saturday, Oct. 22. A panel of community leaders addressed questions only from Rev. Dr. Michael C.R. Nabors of the Second Baptist Church. Questions from the public will be answered at the next…

‘The Big Payback’ returns to theaters

The Big Payback, the documentary that captured Evanstonian Robin Rue Simmons’ efforts for reparative justice will come to the Chicago Film Festival this month.  The film follows Rue Simmons’ journey toward making the city the first in the nation to approve a reparations program for its Black residents. The story begins in the winter of…

Data walks expose health toll of segregation in Evanston

A city assessment found that redlining – the now-outlawed practice of denying services to low-income areas, ones often housing mostly Black and brown residents – in Evanston is still adversely affecting Black people’s health 90 years later.  “It’s heart-wrenching,” said Kim Holmes-Ross, Director of Community Engagement for Evanston Cradle to Career. Every three years, the…

Reparations committee feels pressure to disburse grants to city’s ancestors

In an attempt to ensure the Black ancestors see some form of reparations before they die, the reparations committee voted Thursday to move forward with funding mechanisms other than the cannabis tax. The committee backed using money from the city’s real estate transfer tax and to consider using federal grants for the purposes of speeding…

Evanston’s historic reparations program: A 101 guide, part 3

The City of Evanston became the first documented governmental body in the country to enact a sustained policy of reparations for the harm done to Black citizens. The RoundTable offers information about the city’s historic reparations program, its roots and how it has developed over the years. It’s a story in multiple parts: The origin of…

Evanston’s historic reparations program: A 101 guide, part 2

Just three years ago, the City of Evanston became the first documented governmental body in the country to enact a sustained policy of reparations for the harm done to Black citizens. What follows is information about the city’s historic reparations program, its roots and how it has developed over the years. It’s a story in…

Evanston wants to know: What do you think about reparations?

The city wants to hear Evanstonian opinions on reparations. The Reparations Committee set a town hall for next month. And Northwestern University will be evaluating the community’s opinions on reparations in the city. The town hall to discuss reparations was tentatively set for Oct. 22 and no location has yet been chosen, city officials announced…

Evanston’s historic reparations program: A 101 guide

Just three years ago, the City of Evanston became the first documented governmental body in the country to enact a sustained policy of reparations for the harm done to Black citizens. What follows is information about the city’s historic reparations program, its roots and how it has developed over the years. It’s a story in…

Evanston budget on track for surplus

City budget revenues were looking “pretty stable, pretty strong,” at the mid-year mark, including in some areas previously down due to COVID, the city’s top financial officer told Evanston City Council members in a presentation at their Aug. 8 meeting. Revenues tied to economic activity, such as sales tax revenues, are on track with budget…

City OKs paying out $3.45 million in reparations

At Monday night’s City Council meeting, the City of Evanston agreed to disburse $3.45 million in additional reparations funds for the remaining 138 “ancestor” applicants lined up to receive benefits. On Jan. 13, a total of 154 ancestor applicants who applied were randomly ranked, with the first 16 now in the process of receiving the…

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