Chicago suburb pays discrimination reparations to Black residents

Jul 11, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Stacey Chamberlain (Writer/Producer)

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A Chicago suburb has begun paying reparations to Black residents for its history of housing discrimination. The program is the first of its kind and it is setting an example for the rest of the country.

In the summer of 2019, the Evanston City Council passed its plan to spend $10 million over the course of 10 years. Four years later, the program is now paying Black residents reparations for discrimination and a lack of access to housing. By the end of this year, the city program expects to have paid $25,000 each to 140 residents, most of them elderly, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The reparations are to address the historical wealth and opportunity gaps that African American residents of Evanston experienced between 1919 and 1969. In 1969, Illinois laws began allowing Black residents to move into white neighborhoods. But before 1969, local zoning policies kept Black residents concentrated in one neighborhood. Those policies led to overcrowding and access to fewer city amenities.

“We’ve done all forms of affirmative action and equity work that has been really good, but we have not repaired the past harm by the municipal government,” said Robin Sue Simmons, who leads the local reparations committee.

Simmons said the committee took applications from more than 670 people who either lived in Evanston during the period of greatest harm or were the children of those harmed.

The recipients of the $25,000 can use the money to pay down their mortgage, make housing repairs, or put a down payment on a new home.

According to the city’s policies and practices report drafted in 2020, the payments are funded by marijuana and real estate transfer taxes on high-value properties in Evanston.

Just north of Chicago, the city of 75,000 is paving the way for the rest of the country. While other cities across the U.S. have taken similar steps toward reparations, Evanston is the only municipality making good on its promise so far. One civil rights advocate called the program a “test run” for the whole country.

Now, the committee is going through the verification process for more than 500 direct descendants of the initial 140 recipients, who will also get reparations.

A CHICAGO SUBURB HAS BEGUN PAYING REPARATIONS TO BLACK RESIDENTS FOR A HISTORY. NOT FOR A HISTORY OF SLAVERY, BUT FOR A HISTORY OF HOUSING DISCRIMINATION.

IN THE SUMMER OF 2019, THE CITY COUNCIL IN EVANSTON, ILLINOIS PASSED ITS PLAN TO SPEND $10 MILLION OVER 10 YEARS. FOUR YEARS LATER, THE PROGRAM IS NOW PAYING BLACK RESIDENTS REPARATIONS FOR DISCRIMINATION AND A LACK OF ACCESS TO HOUSING. BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, THE CITY PROGRAM EXPECTS TO HAVE PAID $25,000 DOLLARS EACH TO 140 RESIDENTS, MOSTLY OF THEM ELDERLY, ACCORDING TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.

THE REPARATIONS ARE TO ADDRESS THE HISTORICAL WEALTH AND OPPORTUNITY GAPS THAT AFRICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS OF EVANSTON EXPERIENCED BETWEEN 1919 AND 1969. IN 1969, ILLINOIS LAWS BEGAN ALLOWING BLACK RESIDENTS TO MOVE INTO WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS. BUT BEFORE 1969, LOCAL ZONING POLICIES KEPT BLACKS CONCENTRATED IN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD. THAT LED TO OVERCROWDING AND ACCESS TO FEWER CITY AMENITIES.

“WE’VE DONE ALL FORMS OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EQUITY WORK THAT HAS BEEN REALLY GOOD, BUT WE HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE PAST HARM BY THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT,” SAID ROBIN SUE SIMMONS, WHO HEADS THE LOCAL REPARATIONS COMMITTEE. SHE SAID THEY TOOK APPLICATIONS FROM MORE THAN 670 PEOPLE WHO EITHER LIVED IN EVANSTON DURING THE PERIOD OF GREATEST HARM, OR WERE THE CHILDREN OF THOSE HARMED.

THE RECIPIENTS OF THE $25,000 CAN USE THE MONEY TO PAY DOWN THEIR MORTGAGE, MAKE HOUSING REPAIRS, OR PUT A DOWN PAYMENT ON A NEW HOME. ACCORDING TO A POLICIES AND PRACTICES DOCUMENT DRAFTED IN 2020, THE PAYMENTS ARE FUNDED BY MARIJUANA AND REAL-ESTATE TRANSFER TAXES ON HIGH-VALUE PROPERTIES IN EVANSTON.

THE CITY OF 75,000, JUST NORTH OF CHICAGO, IS PAVING THE WAY FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. WHILE OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE U.S. HAVE TAKEN SIMILAR STEPS TOWARD REPARATIONS, EVANSTON IS THE ONLY MUNICIPALITY MAKING GOOD ON ITS PROMISE. ONE CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATE CALLED THE PROGRAM A “TEST RUN” FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY.

NOW, THE REPARATION COMMITTEE IS GOING THROUGH THE VERIFICATION PROCESS FOR MORE THAN 500 DIRECT DESCENDANTS OF THE INITIAL 140 RECIPIENTS, WHO WILL ALSO GET REPARATIONS.