[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-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",6211121,"mediaKeyId","3699521-07fad23d7eb8b0d5ddb9570fa789f9fe","parentId",3699521,"title","Evanston Reparations Committee welcomes new Eighth Ward member, honors longtime community volunteer Lois Wedlow and recognizes intern","audioSeconds",530,"startMs",492000,"endMs",1022000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3699521-07fad23d7eb8b0d5ddb9570fa789f9fe&start=492&end=1022","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3699521-07fad23d7eb8b0d5ddb9570fa789f9fe/thumbnail_492000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6211121/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/Evanston-Reparations-Committee-welcomes-new-Eighth-Ward-member-honors-longtime-community-volunteer-Lois-Wedlow-and-recognizes-intern","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211121-1f20cb019f3bdf4153cd4e835c8afaa3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206520&Signature=lsyIGlKgpKZAIIQs3e0BfXmsY6diqg5sKOBpYYzAq0ZtRz5V3gaCmhO9fouf6k0zWBlU6GlpS5SMaM5AOrDBsUmU6lMhSQlajjE3lUPUMgqAN9x30FJTZYBebwNWeWfT9tQZN98PbX4XYFnr7zxEGo2kH9yXx5vZ~l11Yv-WUi4REQ0mD0csdWe~pyEL~jAMS4ah0ShZjrzhfKmLAnLi14BbQ7D23TWeV~d6k70-yvfQINs5pE8ZXfNb9YAwLSmmWmdk7Dpz3sWx8hoi6mJWsqQsWZQYcldo43x1MGNZY1cLLys~ntbIhVh6Hi4Xbp1IJv8scTHNKXz~ThpEFbi6Lw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Evanston, IL","date","2025-06-06T02:44:06Z","article","The Evanston Reparations Committee introduced newly elected Eighth Ward alderman Matt Rogers as its newest council representative and recognized the life of long-serving community volunteer Sharia (Lois) Wedlow, while thanking staff and interns for supporting the committee's work.

\"My name is Matt Rogers. I'm a board alderman, recently elected,\" Rogers said, introducing himself to the committee. He told members he is \"still learning\" and that the committee's work \"directly affects the Eighth Ward and the people of the Eighth Ward.\" Rogers said he is on the committee to \"learn, serve as an ally\" and \"do what we can to correct those\" harms related to segregation.

Committee leaders announced that the city will prepare a resolution honoring Wedlow, widely known in the meeting as Mother Wedlow. Councilwoman Chrissy Harris spoke about the loss and the city response: \"We're very committed to preparations and very committed to doing things in order properly. So it will be, a great loss for our city, and the city will be doing a resolution on her behalf that we will present later on.\" The committee provided biographical remarks noting Wedlow's long service at Mount Zion Baptist Church and New Trier High School and said family arrangements would be announced by Wedlow's family.

Chair Tashie Kerr also publicly thanked Dami Lola Olamaghi, who the committee presented to the meeting as a reparations intern. Olamaghi said she had worked with the reparations program for roughly two-and-a-half years while a Northwestern student and described the experience as formative: \"My time at the working with reparations with the city has been amazing...And I hope that everything that I've learned here...I continue to connect with and and to grow upon that.\" Kerr and other members praised Olamaghi's contributions and said she would be presented with a small recognition.

Kerr reminded the public that the committee has three standing council seats (first, second and eighth wards) and four community stakeholder seats, and she encouraged community members interested in serving to apply through the city's website or contact the city clerk, Stephanie Mendoza, for more information. No formal personnel votes or motions were recorded at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Reparations Committee Meeting 6-5-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Evanston Reparations Committee introduced newly elected Eighth Ward alderman Matt Rogers, recognized the recent death of longtime community volunteer Sharia/Lois Wedlow and announced a forthcoming city resolution, and presented thanks to reparations intern Dami Lola Olamaghi for two-and-a-half years of service.","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},6211126,"Ox Wellness Collective reopens renovated space with eight Black-owned businesses; committee urges outreach",1074,1514000,2588000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3699521-07fad23d7eb8b0d5ddb9570fa789f9fe&start=1514&end=2588","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3699521-07fad23d7eb8b0d5ddb9570fa789f9fe/thumbnail_1514000.jpg","/articles/6211126/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/Ox-Wellness-Collective-reopens-renovated-space-with-eight-Black-owned-businesses-committee-urges-outreach","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211126-a438d2b67da4b708b9e394d0b35bbd6c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206520&Signature=B~YjeOmIt3qW60rbmO-tDzyXMSb4H3QzDU~v6d8wOJRxQ0gsStxrYJmL0ZjMi-WAUU7H~GtP4T3a4ln-F~HfXO-dJjwtM28uRM0ZK~5rD2SCEYCUiHKBcCbN4uWSryBv~EnG4lAIEu-MeucpUBAHR1dYVEiJ2lu1YLJE6jx5-lK-BzPLvjH5Cix4KdOtKcd~47tLlNcVEZ58am58GkRh7lkk07R2aibLGjNKpzDtmIcYWN7QgF7k~lXYrokqHcOMeZCV6kFGOusNTmbtvJ9rS0v7pAnebZ8B7oxkaQgB77dFDZamatH4ft5~JUpNNK6jDDAABPDW4X8En5So-uAY6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tiffany Holmes, a co-developer and owner of the Ox Wellness Collective, told the Evanston Reparations Committee that the project transformed an abandoned warehouse into a community wellness hub at an $11,000,000 cost.

\"This is a 5 year labor of love,\" Holmes said. \"The Ox is now an $11,000,000 project that has taken an abandoned warehouse and completely gutted it and rehabbed it into the space that you see today. There are 8 Black-owned businesses currently in this space.\" Holmes listed tenants and services including a cafe, laundry services to help mitigate absenteeism in schools, scalp and skin care services, group fitness classes, personal training and a mental-health therapist on site.

Committee leaders said the Ox is an example of a collective benefit that could align with reparations goals. Chair Tashie Kerr called it \"an example of what a collective benefit for reparations could look like,\" and encouraged residents to visit and support the businesses.

Members of the public asked how the Ox would get wider public awareness and raised questions about banking partnerships. One commenter asked why Wintrust (referred to in the meeting as Winchester/Wintrust) was a partner on site rather than Liberty Bank and whether Liberty Bank planned a satellite in Evanston. Kerr said she would invite Wendy (a bank representative mentioned by a commenter) to a future meeting so the committee could receive a report on any partnership or satellite-location plans.

Another public question asked about ownership and whether the Ox (referred to in the meeting as \"the Ox\" or \"the aux\") remained owned by a non-Black individual; the committee said questions about ownership and tenants should be directed to the Ox's operators. \"Any questions that you have about their operations or ownership or tenants, will have to be directed to the Ox. And I'm sure they will be excited to respond to you,\" Kerr said.

Holmes said the space is intended to be welcoming and to help residents \"come and heal,\" and that efforts to publicize the Ox would continue. \"This is a space that we want the community to come and heal community also,\" she said.

No formal committee action was taken on the project; the presentation served as a community update and a prompt for follow-up reporting and outreach.","Developers described the Ox Wellness Collective as an $11 million rehabilitation of an abandoned warehouse housing eight Black-owned businesses providing wellness, laundry, hair care and mental health services. Committee members and public commenters urged broader outreach and noted banking-partner questions.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6211131,"Evanston committee reports $2.9 million disbursed to direct descendants; $10 million funding commitments noted",0,1783000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3699521-07fad23d7eb8b0d5ddb9570fa789f9fe&start=1783&end=1783","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3699521-07fad23d7eb8b0d5ddb9570fa789f9fe/thumbnail_1783000.jpg","/articles/6211131/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/Evanston-committee-reports-29-million-disbursed-to-direct-descendants-10-million-funding-commitments-noted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211131-49dc6c526d182c725c8c9c059dfbe116/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206520&Signature=hQOU2rayOxyZa0W84FGdy6Cl3Wr8gg4TwH5glVdU7XTuSnYw5UiJ06glq9GXn8WJBCCljXH93UYCeCvvYSjcu3N-JTldYjT9cXQUliwTaKnC-lZj5sIVuKb3y3lYDb3tbYRDyfDrWPmWvtNPASNkkvi7ajsTdlDM9jiJcrWgVg0YMDe~lzKLaZUix3giHFEtWc60whkjwOkI3S7AXBSVRl4~bBNHqm6nmVl3h~EhtKvGfIIyIUhsJJZsegf5pvcJ8-d7XKEqBrR89nLHSG7wNEb0SjgLlPWXlqO9gtOTlmiIriiW09BHmAfHIaOCocQn-lh4N2rHGSpaGedC9BXAyw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Evanston Reparations Committee reported that $2,892,000 has been disbursed to direct-descendant recipients and that ancestor-recipient payments remain at $3,000,468, for a combined total of $6,368,600 in the program's first disbursements.

The committee's chair, Tashie Kerr, said the city's reparations fund currently includes $10,000,000 from recreational cannabis sales tax and $10,000,000 from a graduated real estate transfer tax, plus donations. \"Right now, we have, as you know, $10,000,000 from recreational cannabis sales tax, $10,000,000 from the graduated real estate transfer tax, and then we have a, a donation, fund that makes up our reparations fund and commitment,\" Kerr said.

Dami Lola Olamaghi, the committee's reparations intern, provided the disbursement status during the meeting. Olamaghi said 26 direct descendants had been selected, 16 have been met with and received their benefits, and 10 recipients remain in progress. \"In total, this resulted in 2,892,000 being disbursed to this group,\" Olamaghi said. She added that three recipients currently required additional documentation.

The committee emphasized that further rounds of disbursement or expansions of the program would require additional committee support and action by the City Council. \"Anything further would take additional committee support and a council action as well,\" Kerr said when asked whether another application round or additional funds were committed.

Vanessa Johnson McCoy, speaking as part of a related stakeholders group, said the Reparation Stakeholders Authority of Evanston held a community engagement kickoff and that the interfaith community had donated funds for reparative purposes. \"We have a lot of good info from the community about what to do with the million dollars that the interfaith primarily the interfaith community has given to the black Evanston community,\" Johnson McCoy said.

Committee members and staff encouraged residents to stay on the mailing list for future updates and to engage with the Reparation Stakeholders Authority, which the committee described as a separate body that can propose additional reparative ideas beyond what the city's legal framework allows. Kerr said the authority could offer ideas \"in perpetuity\" while the committee remains bound by the city's legal parameters.

No motions or votes were taken on new disbursements at the meeting; the committee recorded status updates and public comments and confirmed that committed funding to date is limited to the amounts described above.","The Evanston Reparations Committee reported an initial $2,892,000 disbursed to direct-descendant recipients, said committee leaders, and confirmed $10 million commitments each from recreational cannabis sales tax and a graduated real estate transfer tax. Officials said additional rounds would require further council action.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Evanston Reparations Committee welcomes new Eighth Ward member, honors longtime community volunteer Lois Wedlow and recognizes intern

Ox Wellness Collective reopens renovated space with eight Black-owned businesses; committee urges outreach

Evanston committee reports $2.9 million disbursed to direct descendants; $10 million funding commitments noted