Evanston, Illinois, recently became the first city to start a reparations program that gives back to black families who were wronged in the city’s history thanks to slavery, systemic racism, and segregation.
However, this program has been heavily criticized by some white residents, who believe that it is promoting unfairness and discrimination.
Advocates Worry
The people who have advocated for the reparations program in Evanston and other areas around the country are growing increasingly worried. The program is supposed to help Black residents with cash and housing assistance to make up for the wrongs that these families faced.
However, advocates grow concerned that the objections to this program, including a recent lawsuit by the Judicial Watch, may cause significant damage to the program.
An Attack from Conservatives
According to the advocates, conservative activists are trying to put an end to the reparations program, just like they do to other programs that hope to address racial and minority differences.
As the country was preparing to observe Juneteenth, the national holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S., advocates told CNN that they were also expecting many more lawsuits against the reparations programs from white people and other conservatives.
Evanston Remains Unshaken
Regardless of the impending lawsuits, these advocates told CNN that they will remain committed to their cause in order to correct the constant racism that Black American families have suffered over the years.
Per the reparations program, Black residents in Evanston are eligible for up to $25,000 for housing aid if they or their direct descendants lived in the city between 1919 and 1969.
The Evanston Reparations Program
The program has been in the making for over a decade, and it was officially launched in 2019. In 2023, the program updated its options to include a direct cash payment to its recipients.
Robin Rue Simmons, the chair of the Evanston Reparations Committee, noted that the lawsuit from the Judicial Watch was not a surprise to the team and that the city was ready to defend the program till the end.
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A Statement from the Committee
In a statement to CNN, Simmons said that not only is the suit an attack on Evanston, but it is also an attack on reparations as a whole. He continued, saying that it was a direct attack on the city’s movement to ensure racial equity and civil rights and carry out reparative justice for those who have been wronged.
It is important to note that most of the plaintiffs of this Judicial Watch lawsuit do not identify as black.
Details of the Lawsuit
According to the suit, the plaintiffs have a problem with the reparations program because it does not require the applicants to present evidence that they or their ancestors were racially abused or suffered any unlawful discrimination between 1919 and 1969, thanks to racial profiling.
Therefore, they believe that the program is simply using race to discriminate against white Americans in Evanston.
The Judicial Watch
According to Tom Fitton, the president of the Judicial Watch, the Evanston reparations program is a total violation of federal law and the constitution. He said this to CNN and also argued that it was an unfair program that did not benefit other people. He also noted that this practice was unnecessary as it was both out of “historic racism.”
However, Fitton and his family have never been the recipients of racial discrimination as they are all white.
The City’s Defence
A spokesperson of Evanston City also spoke to CNN to emphasize that the city would not be shut down and is ready to defend the program against those who criticize it.
Justin Hansford, the commissioner of the National African American Reparations Commission, also rejected Judicial Watch’s interpretation of the program, crossing out the notion of it being illegal.
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The Commissioner Responds
The commissioner told CNN that it was not surprising that the program was only for a specific group of people. This is because only this specific group of people suffered from house segregation, redlining, and other racially motivated offenses.
Therefore, it is only logical that a program that hopes to rectify this problem would be directed toward this group alone.
The Judicial Watch Hopes to File More Lawsuits
Evanston’s bold move to implement a reparations program motivated many cities and states to do the same. However, Fitton and his group are not happy about this. In fact, he mentioned that it was possible that the group would sue many other reparations programs in other cities.
The feasibility of this many lawsuits is relatively low.
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The Effects of Eliminating Affirmative Action
Four years ago, the government eliminated affirmative action, which sought to benefit some marginalized groups. Therefore, many different programs, such as reparations and aid, have been ignored or rejected.
Just last week, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled against compensation for the survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, which left the black community in Greenwood distraught.
Constant Blocking of Reparations Efforts
Not long ago, a federal court of appeals also stopped Fearless Fund, a Black-owned business capital firm, from giving out grants just to Black women who are entrepreneurs at the beginning of June. Therefore, some establishments and areas are asking people for proof of their ancestry before granting them any restitutions or special privileges.
However, those who already oppose the reparations plan are still not satisfied by this.
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