Evanston Local Reparations

Reparation Community Engagement Form

The Reparations Committee’s Educational Working Group is proud to partner with Young, Black, & Lit for a Black History Month Book Drive!

Young, Black & Lit is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to children’s books that center, reflect, and affirm Black children, providing free books to youth in pre-K through 8th grade.

We need your help to secure 25 copies of every book on their list, ensuring culturally relevant books reach our youth. Books purchased from the organization’s Amazon wishlist will be mailed directly to Young, Black, & Lit, so you don’t need to handle delivery.

Let’s celebrate Black History Month by empowering our children with stories that reflect and honor their experiences!

The City of Evanston’s Reparations Committee, in partnership with the National African American Reparations Commission, FirstRepair, and the Reparations Stakeholders Authority of Evanston, will host a special Town Hall on Thursday, December 4, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Second Baptist Church (1717 Benson Ave.). The event will commemorate the sixth anniversary of Evanston’s historic reparations initiative.

Attendees will hear from international, state, and local reparations leaders who continue to shape the movement. The Committee will also recognize the first cohort of 126 direct descendant beneficiaries, honoring their place in Evanston’s ongoing commitment to repair and restorative justice.

Register Here: http://bit.ly/reparationsregistration

Live Steam: A livestream link will be provided on for those unable to attend in person.

The City of Evanston Reparations Committee invites you to the Reparations Repair Expo on February 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Evanston Township High School (Door 6). This free, community-focused event will connect Evanston residents with resources related to housing, scholarships, grants, school programs, local businesses, and financial literacy. Attendees can receive practical guidance, explore available opportunities, enjoy free giveaways, and share a complimentary lunch. Open to all Evanston residents.

Let us know you are coming by registering via the link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reparations-repair-expo-tickets-1982365363165?aff=oddtdtcreator

Interested in being a vendor? Sign up via this link: Reparations Repair Expo

The Reparations Educational Working Group appreciates your engagement and interest in the educational fair. We’re excited to share a recap video highlighting key moments from the event. Additionally, we've received many inquiries about participating in future fairs and look forward to offering more opportunities for involvement.

Stay tuned for details, and thank you for your continued support!

Click on the link below to download the document.

Direct Descendants Reparations Disbursement Order

The Selection Number is your place in line to receive Reparations funding. Identify your selection number by locating your Unique ID number. If you are having difficulty, you may call 311 ( 847-448-4311) with your Unique ID number; they will inform you of your selection number.

FAQs

Please note that all verified Direct Descendants will be funded. However, there are more recipients than available funding at this time. Reparations funds will be disbursed as revenue is received to the Reparations Funds.

How many individuals will receive funding in 2024? Staff anticipates disbursing reparations funds to at least 80 Direct Descendants in 2024. There might be more disbursement pending the tax received from the second cannabis dispensary, which is anticipated to open in February 2024.

What should I expect if I am amongst the first 80 to be selected? Staff will contact you in March to set up your in-person intake.

How can I use my Reparations Funds? Please review the guidelines of the Local Reparations: Restorative Housing Program. There are four Reparations benefits: Home Purchase Benefit, Home Mortgage Assistance Benefit, Home Improvement Benefit, and Cash Benefit.

Sign up to receive notifications for upcoming Reparations home renovation projects via the link: https://cityofevanston.wufoo.com/forms/reparations-contractor-sign-up/

View Current Contract Opportunities by clicking on the link below. Submit quotes to Michael Dykes at mdykes@cityofevanston.org

Reparations Recipients Home Renovations Projects

Contribute to the City of Evanston’s Reparations Fund by making a financial donation.

On November 9, 2020, City Council adopted of Ordinance 102-O-20 amending portions of the City Code codifying the Reparations Committee. The new Reparations Committee expands the number of the members on the committee to include non-aldermanic members, along with updated roles and responsibilities that reflect the work being completed by the Reparations Subcommittee.

The Reparations Committee includes 5th Ward Councilmember Bobby Burns, 2nd Ward Councilmember Krissie Harris, Chair, 8th Ward Councilmember Matt Rodgers and residents Claire McFarland Barber, Robin Rue Simmons, and Carlis Sutton.

The Committee will work with residents, City staff, and experts to explore and identify programs and opportunities to be supported by the Reparations Fund.

Information on the Reparations Committee, including members, meeting agendas, minutes, and meeting videos, is available via the Reparations Committee webpage.

The Reparations Subcommittee was dissolved in May 2021. Past meetings, including videos, agenda, and minutes, can be found on the Reparations Subcommittee webpage

Working Group Chair/s	Meeting Information	Working Group	Working Group members
Chair by Claire McFarland Barber	When: TBD	Community Unity	Malaika Lebin Julie Fredrickson Vacant Vacant Vannesa Johnson-McCoy Brenda Phillips
Working Group Chair/s	Meeting Information	Committee Group	Working Group members
Councilmember Reid	When: 2nd Tuesday of the Month from 2pm to 3pm. Where: Virtual Upcoming Meeting Dates: October 10,2023 2pm November 14, 2023 2pm December 12, 2023 2pm CST	Economic Development	Bennet Johnson Susan Lloyd Tracy Fulce Michael Summers Trina Ntamere Ndona Muboyayi Vacant
Working Group Chair/s	Meeting Information	Committee Group	Working Group members
Councilmember Harris and Carlis Sutton	When: 1st Tuesday of the month from 7 pm - 8 pm Where: Virtual Upcoming Meeting Dates: November 14, 2023, December 5, 2023	Educational Initiatives	Juleya Woodson Belva HIll Karen Ollivierre Candeious Eason Stephen Heaviland Margarita Matlis Nicholas Murphy
Working Group Chair/s	Meeting Dates and Location	Committee Group	Working Group members
Councilmember Burns and Bonnie Lockhart	When: 3rd Thursday of the Month From 6 pm – 7:30 pm Where: 2100 Ridge Ave, room 2402 Upcoming Meeting Dates: November 16, 2023, January 18 , 2024,	Housing	GeneLouise Wade Laciesha Powell Abbey Ogunbola David Borland Cindy Reed Candeious Eason Vacant

In 2002, the City Council supported US House Resolution 40 (HR-40), calling for a Federal Commission to study slavery and its vestiges, and to make recommendations for reparations, with the adoption of Resolution 43-R-02, “Slave Reparations.”

In November 2019, the Evanston City Council adopted Resolution 126-R-19, “Establishing the City of Evanston Reparations Fund and the Reparations Subcommittee.” The resolution committed the first ten million dollars ($10,000,000.00) of the City’s Municipal Cannabis Retailers’ Occupation Tax (3% on gross sales of cannabis) to fund local reparations for housing and economic development programs for Black Evanston residents.

In passing Resolution 58-R-19, “Commitment to End Structural Racism and Achieve Racial Equity”, In June 2019, the City of Evanston government recognizes that like most, if not all communities in the United States, the community and the government allowed and perpetuated racial disparities through the use of many regulatory and policy-oriented tools.

Applications for the program were made available from September 21 to November 5, 2021.

Categories always sorted by seq (sub-categories sorted within each category)
Documents sorted by SEQ in Ascending Order within category

Reports

Evanston Reparations FAQs

Who do I contact regarding my reparations letter? (i.e., I misplaced my letter or did not receive a letter)

Please contact reparations@cityofevanston.org . Staff may ask for additional information to verify your identity.

What does “I am verified to receive funding under the City of Evanston’s Local Reparations Restorative Housing program mean?”

If you applied as a Direct Descendant, you are eligible to receive reparations funding when it becomes available.

What does my Unique Identifier Number mean?

Your Unique Identifier Number is a number unique to your reparations application.

Why was I provided with resources from Devon Bank, Liberty Bank, Self-Help Federal Credit Union?

The Reparations Committee provided resources for those considering purchasing a home in Evanston. These resources are provided to supplement your reparations benefit when it becomes available. You are NOT obligated to do business with these institutions. The information is provided as a supplemental resource ONLY.

Please note that outside the City of Evanston’s programs, the City of Evanston is not partnering with, endorsing, or making any representations or warranties regarding the supplemental resources provided.

If I did not previously submit an application for the Local Reparations Restorative Housing program, will there be an opportunity to do so?

The Reparations Committee has not provided staff with direction to reopen the application.

What is the next step after receiving verification for the Local Reparations Restorative Housing program?

At this time, the Reparations Committee has prioritized funding distribution to the remaining Ancestors. The Committee is exploring alternative sources of revenue to fund the Reparations Program.

What does my Selection Number mean?

ONLY those that have applied as an Ancestor have a selection number. The selection number is your place in line to receive funding.

Why is the City of Evanston implementing local reparations?

After the passage of Resolution 58-R-19, “Commitment to End Structural Racism and Achieve Racial Equity,” in the summer of 2019, the Evanston City Council took action to address the historical wealth and opportunity gaps that African American/Black residents of Evanston experienced. Alderman Robin Rue Simmons sought a “Solutions Only” process with the support of the City’s Equity and Empowerment Commission to identify actions that the City could take to implement a meaningful repair and reparations policy. The first initiative identified was a housing program.

Why is the City’s first reparations program focused on housing?

In July 2019, the Equity and Empowerment Commission held community meetings to solicit feedback from community members on what reparations would look like for the City of Evanston. Affordable housing and economic development were the top priorities identified during those meetings. A report was submitted to the City Council for consideration and was the basis for Resolution 126-R-19, “Establishing the City of Evanston Reparations Fund and the Reparations Subcommittee.”

Reparations, and any process for restorative relief, must connect between the harm imposed and the City. The strongest case for reparations by the City of Evanston is in the area of housing, where there is sufficient evidence showing the City’s part in housing discrimination as a result of early City zoning ordinances in place between 1919 and 1969, when the City banned housing discrimination.

View the Evanston Policies and Practices Directly Affecting the African American Community, 1900 - 1960 (and Present) draft report written by Dino Robinson of Shorefront Legacy and Dr. Jenny Thompson of Evanston History Center.

How can I qualify for local reparations?

In Evanston, the local reparations fund was established to support initiatives addressing the historical wealth and opportunity gaps for African American/Black residents. The first initiative is the Restorative Housing Program. Once approved by City Council, the program guidelines will provide details on how individuals will be able to qualify and additional information regarding document verification and submission.

How much money has the City dedicated to local reparations?

In November 2019, the Evanston City Council adopted Resolution 126-R-19, “Establishing the City of Evanston Reparations Fund and the Reparations Subcommittee.” The resolution committed the first $10 million dollars of the City’s Municipal Cannabis Retailers’ Occupation Tax (3 percent on gross sales of cannabis) to fund local reparations for housing and economic development programs for Black Evanston residents.

Is Reparations only for African American/Black Evanston residents who are United States direct descendants of slaves?

No. The program identifies eligible applicants as Black or African American persons having origins in any of the Black racial and ethnic groups of Africa. The person must reside in Evanston at the time of disbursement of funds.

Does Evanston Reparations have local and national support?

Yes. The National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA) and the National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC) both support and endorse Evanston's Restorative Housing Program.

How was the Equity and Empowerment Commission involved in Reparations?

Housing
Economic development
Education
Finances
History/Culture

This report was submitted to City Council for consideration and was the basis for the Resolution 126-R-19, “Establishing the City of Evanston Reparations Fund and the Reparations Subcommittee.”

The housing initiative is the first program established by the City of Evanston as part of local reparations. Once the newly formed Reparations Committee is seated a community outreach plan will be developed to ensure members of the community are participating in the development of future reparations initiatives.

How have community members been involved in the process?

The Equity and Empowerment Commission held two community meetings in July 2019 to solicit feedback from the community to identify meaningful solutions for reparations.
The Reparations Subcommittee hosted three town halls - in December 2019, May 2020 and August 2020 - to educate and inform the community on Reparations at the Local and Federal level.
An update to the City Council was provided on December 14 to discuss the Restorative Housing Reparations Program guidelines.
The Reparations Subcommittee has held fifteen public meetings since January 2020 to discuss the program development of the Restorative Housing Program.

Restorative Housing Program FAQs

What is the Restorative Housing Program?

The first reparations initiative developed by the City of Evanston is the Restorative Housing Program. The Program acknowledges the harm caused to African-American/Black Evanston residents due to discriminatory housing policies and practices and inaction on the part of the City from 1919-1969. The goal of the Program is to:

Revitalize, preserve and stabilize Black/African-American owner-occupied homes in Evanston
Increase homeownership and build the wealth of Black/African-American residents;
Build intergenerational equity amongst Black/African-American residents
Improve the retention rate of Black/African-American homeowners in the City of Evanston

Funds support the following initiatives:

Home Ownership: The Home Ownership initiative provides down payment/closing cost assistance to purchase real property located within the City.

Home Improvement: The Home Improvement initiative provides funds to repair, improve, or modernize real property located within the City.

Mortgage Assistance: Mortgage Assistance initiatives provide funds to pay down mortgage principal, interest, and/or late penalties for real property located within the City

Is the Restorative Housing Program the only reparations program being offered by the City?

No, the Restorative Housing Program is the first initiative developed for local reparations by the Reparations Subcommittee. Resolution 126-R-19 specifically identified housing assistance and relief initiatives for Black or African American residents in Evanston and various economic development programs and opportunities for Black or African American residents and entrepreneurs in Evanston. Once the newly formed Reparations Committee is seated in May, future reparations initiatives will be developed through additional community outreach.

What’s the next step regarding the Evanston Restorative Housing Program?

Guidelines for the Evanston Restorative Housing Program will be submitted to City Council for approval at the March 22 City Council meeting. If approved, the Reparations Subcommittee will host a number of Q&A sessions to educate the community on the guidelines and prior to the implementation of the program.

When can I apply for the Restorative Housing Program?

The Evanston Restorative Housing Program will be discussed at the March 22 City Council meeting. If approved, the Reparations Committee will develop an application process. More details to follow.

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