DOJ joins lawsuit to block Evanston's pioneering Black reparations program

The U.S. Department of Justice has joined a lawsuit seeking to halt Evanston, Illinois’ groundbreaking reparations program for Black residents and their descendants, arguing that distributing funds based on race violates equal protection. Evanston defends the program as a targeted remedy for past housing discrimination, offering up to $25,000 to those affected between 1919 and 1969 (with eligibility for later discrimination if proven) and funded by local cannabis taxes; about $6.3 million had been disbursed to hundreds of applicants as of last year. Critics say the plan is narrow in scope and questions remain about directing benefits to institutions that once discriminated against Black homeowners.