Evanston reparations vote by city council scheduled for March 22

ByABC 7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Monday, March 8, 2021
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EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) -- The Evanston City Council is expected to vote on reparation payments for Black residents later this month.



Evanston's plan would use revenue from legal marijuana sales.



'There's no plan going forward': Evanston's reparations resolution prompts debate over current proposal


The city of Evanston plans to put the money generated from the sale of recreational marijuana into a reparations fund that will be used for investment into the African American community and to make amends for racial inequalities.


Initially there were reports the city council would vote on the measure at its Monday night meeting. The city council said that information was incorrect, and that the vote was scheduled for a meeting on March 22.



The first initiative of the $10 million plan is the Restorative Housing Reparations program that would distribute up to $25,000 for housing per eligible resident with funding expected to come from a 3% tax on recreational marijuana sales.



It's a measure designed to address the discriminatory housing practices of the past.



ABC News' 6-part 'Soul of a Nation' begins in Evanston, 1st city in country to offer reparations to Black Americans



If it passes, Evanston would become the first U.S. city to use marijuana revenues for reparations.



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