THE PHENOMENAL MELEIKA GARDNER

Written by Meleika Gardner

Meleika Gardner

What I think about the Reparations Bill

I am so proud of the work coming out of our city! The education Bills will benefit children K-12 for generations to come. The one thing I want Evanston to know is, in regards to Reparations, I am thinking about Black Evanston as a whole. I am not thinking of helping a few families in Evanston. Nor am I setting myself up to gain financially on the backend. I do not want to deprive or block the 15 out of 12,000 Black residents from receiving a bank loan for their Reparations or home improvement or mortgage assistance. I am not against a housing program passing to assist the 15 eligible. I am thinking of Black Evanston as a whole. Reparations are not a movement one should rush or blow off or be on the wrong side of history on. It is far too important. As the Evanston Reparations start to unfold, I want to know that I was on the right side of history in speaking out to assure all Black residents in Evanston receive the repair. Many have been asking questions who have attended Reparation meetings and have been called “crabs n’ a barrel”, “ignorant”, and “uneducated”...for simply asking questions and never receiving answers for a year. Reparations are far too important to not ask questions.

Because I have become familiar with how Evanston local government operates, I know the vote is already set to pass for the housing program (under the name Reparations) on March 22nd without listening to community input that has been speaking for a year. The number of Reparations meetings never left the focus of a housing program and made it appear that the process was done fairly. Do you actually believe that no one, in a year of meetings, did not express their concern about the direction Reparations was taking after being told they would receive cash payments? Do you really believe no one reminded the Reparations stakeholders and committee that cash payments were the commitment as stated in Reparation meetings and on WBEZ radio on December 8, 2019? Do you really believe that everyone attending those meetings was in support of a bank loan over receiving cash payment or other stronger ideas that would serve more residents across Evanston? Apparently, many people have bought into that story that the complaints just recently came about in the past couple of weeks... out of absolutely nowhere. That is inaccurate and untrue.

Part of my integrity in the media is in keeping people’s anonymity. Back in June of 2020, I was asked by a legacy Evanstonian to set up a private phone conference with a city official in regards to Reparations. This legacy Evanstonian, whose family qualifies for the housing program, wanted to speak to this city official as an elder, a Father figure. He was concerned that turning a housing program into Reparations will backfire and eventually bring shame to Evanston. This city official responded to this sincere elder with,” You are just a hater! You don’t even live here anymore!!!!!” The elder calmed the situation and agreed to not speak publicly about Evanston’s Reparations or against this city official. He attempted to work with this city official. This was just one voice that attempted to be heard in regards to turning Reparations into a housing program. I, myself, asked during a Reparations meeting,” So 15 will receive their Evanston Reparations. What happens to the rest of Black Evanston? They have experienced discrimination and racism in their life as well. When will they receive their repair and justice?” The city official suggested we look into a federal program. No plan for other initiatives was in place to even give the rest of Black Evanston hope of receiving their repair or justice in the near future. The door was closed to discuss phase 2 for the rest of the residents and the meeting was adjourned. Residents spoke out and asked more questions. They were ignored. Three months ago a petition was even started by two long-time Evanston residents because their voices were not being heard in the Reparations meetings. The petition and groups forming are the result of being ignored. One city official advised the Aldermen on City Council that those speaking out are simply “crabs n’ a barrel” trying to destroy a Black initiative. This was an insulting attempt to get the City Council to not listen to the voices of those with legitimate questions. None of those speaking out are trying to destroy Reparations. They are in support of a housing program assisting 15 Black residents. Who wouldn’t be? Their request is to not call it Reparations because it is not Reparations. It is simply a housing program. Calling it Reparations waters it down and will make it difficult for achieving real Reparation. Many argue that going to a bank to qualify for a loan is a “type” of Reparations. Others see empowering banks to deny a Black resident of their “Reparations” is not repair or justice against past harms in redlining. “We don’t apply to be Black...we come here Black.” The banks should not be empowered to deny a Black man or woman their Reparations. So there are those in Evanston who are willing to take what is handed to them. And then there are those who want Reparations. It is not “crabs n’ a barrel”. There are two different approaches to white supremacy and justice. Those who will take what they can get and then those who want what is right.

The story being told repeatedly in this housing program is that it is just the beginning and that there is $9,600,000 more to go. In several Reparations meetings, residents were told they could not even be told how much money was in the cannabis funds which is supposed to be one of the sources for funding Evanston Reparations. For a year residents were told the first $400,000 was just the beginning. For a year residents asked for a plan for the other initiatives. Many strong ideas were suggested by Black residents to the subcommittee and stakeholders for a year for a school in the 5th Ward, assisting Black men and women incarcerated for marijuana arrests, creating more businesses/ employment, cash payments, and the list goes on. Those ideas were not put into a phase 2 plan. For a year residents asked for a phase 2/tier 2. Nothing. Now there is a rush to put initiatives together before March 22nd to present to the City Council as if the plan had always been there and everyone in the community had been in agreement. There was no plan discussed with residents for community input. It was incomplete. Again, this is not “crabs n’ a barrel”. This is simply residents wanting to know what is going on, being ignored, and then having their intelligence insulted.

Edited from a Facebook post and approved by Meleika Gardner for print. To read the full post/ article go to Evanston Magazine.net

100% FREE ESTIMATE