Evanston issues $25,000 payments to 44 Black residents.

Evanston will send $25,000 reparations payments to 44 Black residents and descendants who lived in the city between 1919 and 1969, the city's Reparations Committee announced. The fund has been supported mainly by a local cannabis sales tax and real estate transfer tax.

Evanston will issue $25,000 reparations payments to 44 Black residents and descendants, the city's Reparations Committee announced. The program was established in 2019 and approved by the City Council in 2021. It provides $25,000 direct cash payments to Black residents and descendants who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969 and was part of a $10 million pledge over a decade. City officials said the payments are intended to help cover housing expenses. Known details: - The city will send $25,000 payments to 44 eligible Black residents or descendants who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969, according to the committee. - The program was created in 2019 and approved by the City Council in 2021; Evanston pledged $10 million over ten years and has awarded over $6,350,000 to 254 individuals so far. - A city memo said the reparations fund had received $276,588 from the real estate transfer tax and that the fund is primarily supported by a cannabis sales tax and real estate tax revenues. - The committee discussed taxing Delta-8 THC products as an additional funding source, and an alderman said such a tax would modestly increase revenue. - Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit challenging the program's race-based eligibility as a violation of the 14th Amendment; the city did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Summary: The payments represent a continuation of Evanston's local reparations program and are described by officials as intended for housing-related needs. City staff said recipients will be contacted and payments should be distributed over the next few weeks. A legal challenge to the program remains pending.