Free Republic

At long last, justice has come: the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Ill., has begun paying reparations to black residents. So now that historic wrongs have been righted, a new era of racial harmony will dawn in northern Illinois, right? Wrong: one local “civil rights activist” is already complaining that the payouts are too meager and more money is needed. Despite the discontent, however, supporters of the scheme are optimistic, with one even terming it “a test run for the whole country.” Yeah, that’s the problem. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Evanston will shell out $25,000 to around 140...

Apart from the 16 individuals who have already received payment, the city has identified 90 more eligible individuals and begun making home visits. A Chicago suburb began paying reparations to black residents this week after first approving the proposal in 2019. Thus far, 16 residents have received funds from a $10 million sum the city allocated for such payments, the Evanston Round Table reported. The money was initially to come from cannabis sales tax, but the city subsequently approved use of real estate transfer tax revenue to expedite the process. Apart from the 16 individuals who have already received payment,...

A suburb of Chicago has become the first to start paying reparations to qualifying black residents in what is being seen as “a test run for the whole country.” The city of Evanston has already paid 16 locals from a $10 million package first approved in 2019, the Evanston RoundTable said Monday. By the end of the year, the reparations committee expects to have paid $25,000 each to 140 qualifying residents in the city of about 75,000, officials also told the Wall Street Journal. Those qualifying had to be at least 18 and living in the city between 1919 and...

Reparations for slavery in the U.S. have been discussed contentiously, not only in the lead-up to this Monday’s Juneteenth holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the country. A survey carried out by Pew Research Center in 2021 shows that two thirds in the U.S. reject the idea of slavery reparations. The picture is different among Black Americans, of whom three quarters support reparations. Support is also higher among Hispanics – where almost 40 percent are in favor – and Asians – one third is for reparations – than among white Americans. Only 18 percent in the group supported...