(ZEROHEDGE) – Evanston, Illinois is on the verge of becoming the first city in the United States to financially compensate black residents 'to address the wealth and opportunity gaps they have experienced because of historical racism and discrimination,' according to NBC News.
The Chicago suburb voted in 2019 to approve a measure for reparations which uses revenue from a 3% tax collected on the sale of recreational cannabis, community donations, and a city-established reparations fund which pledged to distribute $10 million over 10 years. In effect, people of color buying weed in Evanston are effectively paying reparations.
Since then, Evanston officials have been trying to figure out how to disburse the money – finally deciding that the first $400,000 would be used to address housing needs – giving qualifying residents $25,000 to use towards the purchase of a home, home improvements, and mortgage assistance. To qualify, residents must have either lived in or been a direct descendant of a black person who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969 and who suffered housing discrimination due to city ordinances, policies or practices. A vote on the use of funds is expected March 22.
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