Posted on 06/02/2023 2:58:09 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Despite obstacles, Evanston officials say the city’s reparations program is moving forward though some residents say it’s not fast enough.
Anthony Swope was one of many who gave a testimonial at the Evanston Reparations Committee meeting on Thursday. The Evanston resident shared how he convinced his wife, Eleanor, to apply. Unfortunately, she’s one of several approved applicants who died before receiving benefits.
The issue is another that the city’s groundbreaking reparations program is facing. Yet, Swope says he is helpful.
“I’m exceedingly full of joy to see that there are people who are recognizing people of color,” he said.
Sixteen people were selected for the first round of benefits, but hundreds of others continue to wait, leaving some residents frustrated.
“You spend a lot of time on dinners, stale tactics, showboating, canceling meetings and time with the media, instead of what’s really important, which is getting this $25,000 to people in their 70s, 80s and 90s and plus,” said Evanston resident Tina Paden.
Local Bennett Johnson added, “If we do it right, it will be an example for the entire country.”
The effort, led by former councilmember Robin Rue Simmons, switched gears earlier this year.
“We have overcome so many barriers that are keeping us from delivering,” she said.
Instead of only housing-related benefits for mortgage reduction or home construction, which saw long delays, those selected can choose $25,000 cash payments as an option.
But that comes with a risk.
New documentary follows Evanston’s groundbreaking fight for reparations Evanston officials say the money shouldn’t be taxed, but they’re still waiting for clarity from the state on whether it would affect entitlement benefits. If it does, officials say they’ll need legislative help from Springfield.
“What we don’t want is people losing benefits as a result of us trying to actually help them. So you give them a cash payment and now they can’t get health insurance,” said Nicholas Cummings, with the Evanston Corporation Counsel.
On funding, committee members were encouraged that more than a million dollars were added to the reparations fund from the real estate transfer tax after tax revenue from recreational marijuana fell short. A new cannabis dispensary is opening in late 2023. Still, committee members are calling on institutions like Northwestern University to step up to donate.
“They have all kinds of programs that they assist all over the world. It seems to me that charity should begin at home,” Carlis B. Sutton said.
Sutton’s family was forced to move because land clearance pushed Black residents into certain parts of the city. He expects to receive benefits in the next round of applicants, though his brother was among those who died waiting.
Evanston first in US to offer Black residents reparations using marijuana tax money While Sutton says no money can repair the damage of racism and housing discrimination, he applauds Evanston’s effort as a step forward.
“Show Me The Money!”
I say it yet again…….modern descendants of slaves would never have been born if it were not for slavery. Slavery is what brought their ancestors together to procreate. Out of bad comes good sometimes and people should recognize how they personally have benefited from slavery in America. They received the ultimate reward…….life.
Interesting info.
“Evanston was historically a dry city, until 1972...”
“Evanston was mainly uninhabited, consisting largely of wetlands and swampy forest...”
Which is it?
And much of the Chicago area near Lake Michigan was not farmable, including the northern part where Evanston is located. Most of the good farmland is West, South and a little bit North of the city.
On the reparations front, older cemeteries in Illinois are full of the graves of 16-to20 year-olds who died in the Union Army during the Civil War. Hopefully, the City of Evanston will impose a tax on the Northwestern endowment funds to fund the reparation payout. So far, it seems all of the latest round of wacky liberal spending is just a way to launder all of the COVID spending that the federal government approved back in 2020-2022.
We lived in Evanston in the ‘60s. Delightful place then — of course many places were. Strange to see it take such. a long slide downhill. Big sigh.
i.e., people who today are known as white supremacists.
Idiots! Illinois was never a slave state.
https://www.nprillinois.org/illinois/2016-10-20/illinois-issues-slave-state
“there are people who are recognizing people of color”
Like all those white Christian soldiers buried in places like Arlignton and Antietem?
I’m here to speak for whitey. What about all of our descendents that came over here were free. Hell no! Some were indenture servants. I say, “Reparations for every one!” What about those poor whites that couldn’t afford slaves? (Angry mob in the background.) Why should reparation be about the color of your skin? It was the invisible white indentured servants that built America. Us poor Anglo-Americans.
If you’re on SSI, which is disability for people who don’t have enough work credits to qualify for SSDI, you are only allowed to have $2000 in assets plus a vehicle of any value.
When illusion meets disillusion.....
dry = no alcoholic beverages
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