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Evanston committee: $7.33 million dispersed to reparations recipients; national support and local outreach continue
Summary
City staff said $7,334,646 has been disbursed from Evanston's reparations fund to date (from a pool of 597 applicants); speakers described national letters of support, NAACP interest, and a grants program for houses of worship funded in an initial round of $25,000 awards.
City staff told the Reparations Stakeholders Authority of Evanston that funds are being distributed on a rolling basis and that, for fiscal year 2026, an operations committee dispersed awards to 44 additional direct descendants (selection numbers cited in the meeting advanced into the 100s). City staff stated the total amount disbursed to date from the reparations fund is $7,334,646 and that 597 applicants responded to the initial application round.
"City staff has met with all 44 recipients that were stated to receive funds this year, and those funds have been dispersed," a city staff member said, summarizing the operations committee's work.
Community leaders who spoke at the meeting described a burst of national support after news of the Department of Justice's motion to intervene. Dr. Michael Neighbors, pastor of 2nd Baptist Church and president of the local NAACP chapter, said faith leaders and civic partners nationwide had submitted letters or offers of assistance. He also said the NAACP has made room for Evanston reparations to present at an upcoming national plenary session in Chicago that organizers expect will draw about 10,000 attendees.
"We're very excited about all of that work that is going on," Dr. Neighbors said, describing outreach to groups including the Zacchaeus Fellowship and local houses of worship; he also outlined an initial grant program that awarded $25,000 each to five churches to support affordable housing, economic development and education work in neighborhoods beyond church walls.
Several public commenters urged the committee to include historically significant Black congregations in outreach (one commenter specifically asked that Ebenezer AME Church be included) and called for documentation of discriminatory practices (schools, policing, redlining) so histories can support legal work.
The committee closed by taking a summer recess and agreeing to reconvene in September.
