[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6080890,"mediaKeyId","2945151-06a06631866e9fe1fd7c4815b51bf206","parentId",2945151,"title","Researcher outlines data-driven plan to support Black-owned businesses as part of Evanston reparations work","audioSeconds",1406,"startMs",2299000,"endMs",3705000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2945151-06a06631866e9fe1fd7c4815b51bf206&start=2299&end=3705","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2945151-06a06631866e9fe1fd7c4815b51bf206/thumbnail_2299000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6080890/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/Researcher-outlines-data-driven-plan-to-support-Black-owned-businesses-as-part-of-Evanston-reparations-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080890-7601c5e06c2bf7d710ebf1e902d480ad/orig.mp4?Expires=1770775269&Signature=clNGK8IB2VSiFP1q0bu0XYjucddubCZrP7cNKuPe1B0ei-CsuswPQo9489gk8I0XQDGfwJRhCGlqlcDryrnb8m7KDcBbXFlNWIk0sXI3hwl8LtuzbQDnUT3A5RkIxcmjQQnmLgVKY5l9nRklL5bMIbw4Gmkk9fQmE64OONXpJeH~PazYZBRXP~i1iiyH0qH14COBj8V5ybdHdcEqBqAZI6YczyyiomdmLyoCTHNmqk0P-k6B7UO3qsGXsD6-9HTm87jH-lmHLuGdLyFEI76NULaVU-J0DOvaLDhDDI2Eft9fSnqBwuLUkhTLEZQljFn8r1ReTfk7aoNGRk2U3ORBLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Evanston, IL","date","2025-04-10T13:51:25.967Z","article","The Evanston Reparations Committee on April 3 received an update on an economic-harm study aimed at shaping reparations policies for Black-owned businesses.

Dr. Twyla Blackman Larnell presented the study framework, saying the report will document historical and current disparities, identify barriers faced by Black business owners in Evanston and recommend narrowly tailored policies to support legacy Black‑owned businesses and create new ones. She emphasized the legal context: race‑conscious municipal programs will need strong data and careful design to meet judicial scrutiny.

The study includes a survey for business owners that Dr. Blackman Larnell described as taking roughly 15 to 20 minutes. The questionnaire asks about how businesses were founded, interactions with city procurement and licensing, barriers to growth, and includes open‑ended questions for issues not captured in the fixed survey items. She asked committee members and community partners to help increase response rates and said she will post the survey link in the meeting chat.

Her recommended policy tools include targeted training and technical assistance, municipal loan and grant programs, bolstering community development financial institutions, business incubators and workforce development, real‑estate supports such as land trusts or property‑tax relief, and place‑based investments to raise visibility in commercial corridors with legacy Black businesses (she cited Church and Dodge as an example). She noted some programs can be designed as race‑neutral but targeted in effect, which may help legal defensibility.

Dr. Blackman Larnell said the report will include objective performance measures and periodic reviews to assess whether policies meet goals and to include sunset clauses and other mechanisms courts expect. She also said she is coordinating with the city's procurement office to obtain comparative data and that she hopes to \"wrap this up by the end\" (timeline not fully specified in the meeting).

Committee members suggested outreach partners (Sunshine Enterprises and other community organizations) and encouraged targeted outreach to unlicensed entrepreneurs and small‑cash businesses. Dr. Blackman Larnell said she will continue canvassing businesses and follow up with the committee about data access and the report timeline.

No formal action or vote was taken at the April 3 meeting; the study is advisory and intended to inform future policy recommendations and potential ordinances.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Reparations Committee Meeting 4-3-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Dr. Twyla Blackman Larnell presented an economic-harm study framing for reparations-related support to Black-owned businesses, stressing the need for data, targeted programs and legal diligence.","taxTitle","Evanston, Cook County, Illinois","taxId",2640,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6080895,"Evanston committee hears proposal to pilot DNA genealogy program funded by $500,000 state appropriation",1858,406000,2264000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2945151-06a06631866e9fe1fd7c4815b51bf206&start=406&end=2264","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2945151-06a06631866e9fe1fd7c4815b51bf206/thumbnail_406000.jpg","/articles/6080895/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/Evanston-committee-hears-proposal-to-pilot-DNA-genealogy-program-funded-by-500000-state-appropriation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080895-2dfb5b755d427945eb6d5142906132f3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770775269&Signature=GQ4x~hZfho8d3lzxt6mdtrAOAPcEjZRUfUzg-P~tg5sEaNu0tIcB5WD3iPHDEK8aYYcZAN-BS62dx2oBxP8oMNjDh9m-Zmcr8pTg87I-N8zHkAhNLGPOTYnW8mAYdmmz-zTYW4U3UgS~ZtcZh2rXfrf-RiHAwYt2N4R8eBV0leb3Q7UoedFvo7xKo3eXPiTD3E4LQqnko6zIfeIOHSnkNtEj2c0WSGyzylqXRfmI9N~PftOx5Q~cGTIBRyh2UbUpdVh-bO5Fvfi7b8EGROJh4sXCXQTLVGLZkBluto74U6VCTJi--QtOK6cD3Pk8I6K-LRxH~XZY8ZgSBKYOtclW4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Evanston Reparations Committee on April 3 heard a presentation on a state-funded DNA genealogy pilot intended to help people trace family links formed during the transatlantic slave trade.

Dr. Lakeisha David, a researcher with a background at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Illinois, told the committee the project has a state appropriation of $500,000 and that organizers intend to distribute roughly 500 test kits as part of an initial pilot. She said participation would cost residents nothing and that the program will use tiered consent and university oversight to address ethical and privacy concerns.

The pilot aims to generate family-linkage trees from DNA results and to offer options for in-person kit collection at local sites, mailed kits with prepaid return postage, and the capacity to partner with community organizations. \"This is showing you an example of the pop up results ... we have to have all of this approved under active oversight. So that's in place,\" Dr. David said, describing an institutional review and consent process she said is part of the project.

Committee members asked about the long-term security of DNA data and whether results collected by commercial companies could be re-used or transferred. Dr. David said organizers will make decisions about which tests and companies to use and will prioritize data security; she cautioned that the commercial landscape changes (she referenced 23andMe and Ancestry by name when discussing company options) and said the project will require ongoing commitments about how data are stored and governed.

Committee members also asked whether residents would need to travel to Champaign or another out‑of‑state site to participate. Dr. David said they plan to partner with Evanston to provide local collection sites, options in Chicago, and a mail‑back option for people to complete swabs at home. She said kits would be barcoded and that participants typically photograph the barcode and link it to their online account as part of the process.

Staff and committee members discussed operational roles if Evanston joins the pilot. Dr. David said the state funding covers the pilot's testing and shipping costs and that there would be \"no cost to the city\" for residents to join, because the appropriation would underwrite those expenses. Committee members suggested the city health department could help manage kit collection if the pilot moves forward.

Public commenters and committee members raised operational cautions: one asked that the program consider postal‑service disruptions and bulk returns; another asked whether 23andMe data might be re‑used by future corporate buyers and urged clarity on long‑term data stewardship. Committee members and presenters agreed to follow up; Dr. David said she would provide more information and that the committee would be contacted with next steps.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the pilot at the April 3 meeting. Organizers said they will return with details on company selection, consent language, and logistics for local collection if the committee chooses to proceed.","The Evanston Reparations Committee on April 3 heard a presentation on a state-funded DNA genealogy pilot intended to help people trace family links formed during the transatlantic slave trade.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6080885,"Committee reports disbursement progress; public comment raises postal, landlord and banking concerns",778,3710000,4488000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2945151-06a06631866e9fe1fd7c4815b51bf206&start=3710&end=4488","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2945151-06a06631866e9fe1fd7c4815b51bf206/thumbnail_3710000.jpg","/articles/6080885/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/Committee-reports-disbursement-progress-public-comment-raises-postal-landlord-and-banking-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080885-2e674458a50b2493e77d7205ee75b657/orig.mp4?Expires=1770775269&Signature=O6OY0VIiEnn7r~Hi-mGn3l~b9-FX8NUesf5uQFMT6uRQgrCVbYH2WmwXhaZP~6AgbpAAjQYWLhaIgmpfZoThVfuk9XM8Vd9KNvodtnctAqN86jTlRTFBYmzbJOMJRK~dAP7vxPmI30rnbX1dvcLLlV6UnyS8vk6LC31Lxo16YI1cp3ONCXzEc18dqMoPLFwblLg5~xU3aAVMJgpcpB-TO2AVIJcb5h4tnxSZU~Lp-361iEsPzBSGEigWvOeJN1RT0m8pGuev7ElpW6tIx2jvnIrD5ssQTPwX8gEWUC77X2QKhERHNLH-NxYgxH7dK21-iB7xLRW6xp6bG0IFTRm30A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Evanston Reparations Committee provided its regular update on reparations disbursements and fund receipts at its April 3 meeting and heard public comment on operational and outreach matters.

Staff reported that 97 direct descendants had been contacted; 87 had made a benefits selection and had received disbursements, and nine additional recipients were scheduled to meet with staff. Committee staff said the committee anticipates disbursing reparations funds to approximately 46 additional direct descendants in 2025, bringing the expected total number of direct‑descendant disbursements to 146. The report noted 10 recipients have requested a hold and one affidavit is pending.

Staff reported the total amount disbursed to direct descendants as $2,036,388 (as stated in the meeting) and said ancestor disbursements had reached 35 of 41 ancestors, with a total amount disbursed to ancestor recipients of $3,468,600 (figures presented by staff during the meeting). Meeting materials and spoken remarks also referenced donations and transfers to the reparations fund; the transcript records an amount of \"55,000 donations\" and a separate transfer figure of \"661,721 has been transferred to the reparations fund as of April 1,\" but the meeting speaker did not fully clarify those two items in the audio. (Where the transcript was unclear, the committee report language in this article mirrors how the amounts were presented at the meeting.)

Public commenters raised operational issues. One speaker urged the committee to plan for postal‑service disruptions and suggested the committee work closely with kit vendors on bulk returns. Another commenter, who identified herself as a long‑time property owner, said Black landlords and owners of rental properties that provide affordable housing are often overlooked in business support programs and asked that those owners be counted and considered in reparations planning.

A public commenter also asked for City or committee help for residents experiencing harassment, and asked whether the Liberty Bank partnership remains active and whether residents can access loans or satellite banking services. Committee members said the Liberty Bank arrangement is still in place and offered to invite Wendy (a committee partner referenced in the meeting) to provide an update on available services. Committee members encouraged commenters to use public comment, direct email to councilmembers and the committee, or to bring documented complaints to the appropriate city offices so staff can follow up.

No formal votes were taken on disbursements at the April 3 meeting. Committee members said the committee will continue outreach and processing and will report further updates at future meetings.","At the April 3 meeting the committee reported progress on direct‑descendant and ancestor reparations disbursements and fundraising; public commenters urged attention to mail logistics, recognition of Black landlords and updates on the Liberty Bank partnership and resources for residents reporting harassment.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Researcher outlines data-driven plan to support Black-owned businesses as part of Evanston reparations work

Evanston committee hears proposal to pilot DNA genealogy program funded by $500,000 state appropriation

Committee reports disbursement progress; public comment raises postal, landlord and banking concerns