Trump Administration Moves to Block Evanston Reparations

The trans-Atlantic slave trade forced an estimated 12.5 million Africans onto ships bound for the Americas, a historical figure that now anchors the legal arguments in a new federal intervention. The Trump administration has moved to block a reparations program in Evanston, Illinois, which provides $25,000 housing grants to Black residents.

The program, created by Robin Rue Simmons, who now goes by N'nanba, is the first municipal reparations initiative in the country. Simmons, a former city councilwoman and chair of the Evanston Reparations Committee, has worked to expand the model to more than 100 communities. The administration's campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs has prompted some institutions to reconsider similar efforts.

The legal challenge originated in a lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch. The plaintiffs argue that the city distributes funds based on race without identifying specific harm. Michael Bekesha, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, stated that the Constitution prohibits governments from picking winners and losers based entirely on race.

This month, a federal judge allowed the Justice Department to intervene in the case. The department alleges that the Evanston program violates the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause and the Fair Housing Act. Kiersten Pels, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said race-based government benefit programs are unconstitutional and often violate federal civil rights law.

The federal push follows a broader shift in policy. In September, President Trump told supporters that they want to steal your money for reparations, adding that it's going nowhere. He also noted that no president has supported comprehensive Black reparations, a view echoed by William Darity, who co-wrote a book on the topic. In March, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling the trafficking of enslaved Africans the gravest crime against humanity, a move backed by more than 120 countries.

Universities have also felt the pressure of the new administration's stance. Harvard University fired its team researching descendants of enslaved people days after Trump's January 2025 anti-DEI order, though research by an outside firm continues. Kirt von Daacke, a University of Virginia historian, said he sees no new scholarship programs since the president returned to office. Georgetown University, however, continues to offer admission consideration to descendants of enslaved people tied to its past.

Despite the legal hurdles, some programs continue to function. Juan Woolfolk, 36, is using a $10,000 scholarship from Georgetown to study museum studies at Southern University at New Orleans. Virginia Theological Seminary makes annual cash payments to descendants of people who labored on its campus, funded by an endowment that has grown from $1.7 million to $2.8 million since 2019. In Evanston, recipient Joe Martin, 46, said the government's response to a legitimate program was like saying naw.