Historic Reparations Program for Black Residents In Chicago Suburb Under Attack In Lawsuit Filed By Conservative Group Claiming It’s Discriminatory, Goes Against ‘Our Color-blind Constitution’

In a historic move, the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, launched a reparations program in 2021, the first of its kind in the nation, according to several reports.  The program, approved by the Evanston City Council, offers $25,000 payments to Black residents with ties to the community between 1919 and 1969. Initially, those payments were designated for housing costs, but the city expanded the program last year to include an option for direct cash payments. However, the program is now facing a legal challenge by a conservative nonprofit organization, alleging racial discrimination. Judicial Watch has filed a class-action lawsuit against the city of Evanston. The Morton Civic Center in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo: Facebook/City of Evanston Illinois Government) The lawsuit, filed on behalf of six residents who are not Black but whose relatives lived in Evanston during the 50-year period of housing discrimination that caused segregation of Black residents in the city, argued that the reparations program violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment because it uses race as a requirement for eligibility. The plaintiffs are seeking $25,000 payments and an order halting the city from continuing to use race as a requirement for receiving payment under the program,...