The U.S.’ first official reparations program is currently under threat through a newly filed lawsuit by a conservative activist group.
Filed last month, the lawsuit reportedly challenges the entire city of Evanston, Illinois and its reparations program. According to Judicial Watch, the conservative activist group leading the case, the guidelines of the program, mainly having applicants confirm that they or their ancestors are Black, goes against the Fourteenth Amendment.
They claimed it violates the Equal Protection Clause, which says that no U.S. citizen or group will be denied the protection that other groups are given. With their latest lawsuit, the group is attempting to have a judge declare the program unconstitutional and remove race as a requirement for it.
The conservatives are also looking to change the category of the lawsuit into a class action lawsuit which could potentially have thousands of plaintiffs join in on the case.
Leaders of the city reacted to the lawsuit in a statement, emphasizing that they’ll be taking on the case.
“The City of Evanston does not comment on the specifics of pending litigation, but we will vehemently defend any lawsuit brought against our city’s reparations program,” said Cynthia Vargas, the communications and engagement manager for the city of Evanston, per CNN.
Created in 2019, Evanston’s reparations program offers $25,000 for housing assistance to Black residents in response to the city’s practice of housing discrimination and segregation spanning from 1919 to 1969.
Evanston, a Chicago suburb, has been credited with launching the country’s first government-funded reparations program for Black Americans. Now, a conservative advocacy group has filed a class-action lawsuit to kill the program. https://t.co/chvzkPMYEN
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 4, 2024
Participants are able to receive direct cash payments. Approximately $5 million out of the $20 million dedicated to the program are estimated to be handed out this year alone.
Although it’s considered to be the first of its kind in the U.S., Evanston’s reparations program is part of a countrywide demand for reparations.
Following the 2020 Black Lives Matter, many states began to weigh reparations proposal. The latest state to announce the advancement of their reparations payment program is California.
Less than a month ago, the California Senate ruled to send proposals for reparations through to the state Assembly.
Advocating for the creation of the California Freedmen Affairs Agency, their reparations program will seek to address any of the state’s discriminatory actions towards Black Californians.
The program is based on a series of recommendations made by their reparations task force.
Known to be the first of its kind, the California Reparations Task Force, made up of nine individuals, studied the state’s history and created a report last year tracing the impact that California’s actions have had on Black citizens.
Made up of ten chapters, the report covered topics such as housing segregation, education and political disenfranchisement.
