Report finds South Side residents want to see reparations for descendants of slaves

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chicago Urban League released a new report Tuesday on community reparations for descendants of slaves on Chicago’s South Side.

Hundreds of interviews with Chicagoans and hundreds of years of American history brought the city to this point.

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The report from the South Side Community Reparations Coalition is called “Reparations are for Individuals.”

“People know what they need in their community; they know the avenues to take, but it’s like we just need final push of government officials, and people who actually have the money to put it into the community,” said Kiara Hardin, a research contributor.

The coalition found residents want to see reparations for individuals who are descendants of slaves and systemic changes to improve the quality of life for descendants. They also ultimately want to improve Chicago’s communities.

North of Chicago, Evanston has distributed more than $5 million in reparations to descendants of residents who had been the victims of housing discrimination.

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Katelyn Johnson was among the 200 people interviewed in three years of research.

She can trace her ancestors to slavery.

“Just money in and of itself isn’t the solution; it has to be a menu of options, a buffet even, where folks can get what they need based off their own family’s experience,” Johnson said.

“A white family had house. A Black family didn’t have it; they don’t have the wealth that comes with that real estate to then pass down,” Chicago Urban League President and CEO Karen Freeman-Wilson said.

Both the city and state are looking at the possibility of reparations.

How to fund financial reparations was not addressed in the report.

But, part of the report recommends finding the resources to take action in an attempt to right historical wrongs.