By Mark Guarino — CHICAGO — The nation’s first government reparations program for African Americans was approved Monday night in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, action that advocates say represents a critical step in rectifying wrongs caused by slavery, segregation and housing discrimination and in pushing forward on similar compensation efforts across the country.“Right now the whole world is looking at Evanston, Illinois. This is a moment like none other…
Act Now Last November, New Jerseyans across the state voted overwhelmingly in support of legalizing cannabis for adult use, primarily due to the tremendous harm the war on drugs has perpetrated on Black, brown, and low-income communities. With every day that goes by, New Jerseyans across the state continue to be arrested, limiting opportunity, and devastating families and communities. New Jersey can’t afford any more delays. There is an urgent…
By Jonah Meadows— EVANSTON, IL — Qualifying Black Evanstonians could be eligible for up to $25,000 toward the costs of homeownership under the initial phase of the first-of-its-kind municipal reparations program aldermen authorized last year. The proposed housing reparations initiative have taken shape over more than a dozen meetings of the Evanston City Council Reparations Subcommittee since January, although the details are still being worked out. As it stands, Black residents seeking reparations from the city would have to show they lived in Evanston between…
Black merchants affected by the war on drugs are denied licenses and thrown into debt as white owners thrive. By Sam Levin, The Guardian — A Los Angeles government program set up to provide cannabis licenses to people harmed by the war on drugs has been plagued by delays, scandal and bureaucratic blunders, costing some intended beneficiaries hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses. Black entrepreneurs and activists across LA told…
Evanston, Illinois, is levying a tax on newly legalised marijuana to fund projects benefiting African Americans in recognition of the enduring effects of slavery and the war on drugs By Eric Lutz, The Guardian — For years, Robin Rue Simmons watched Evanston, Illinois, “working hard” to resolve its racial disparities – but with little to show for its efforts. “Our gaps were widening,” the city alderman told the Guardian, citing the Chicago suburb’s…
By Bill Smith, Evanston Now — After three months in which the Evanston City Council’s three-member reparations subcommittee held not a single public meeting, on Dec. 19, 2019 the city issued a press release announcing a schedule for a reformulated subcommittee to develop a reparations plan for submission to the City Council next year. At various times this fall members of the subcommittee that was appointed on Sept. 9 — Aldermen Robin Rue…
By Real Times Media — Surrounded by dozens of criminal justice reform advocates and lawmakers at Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation today to strengthen the most equity-centric adult-use cannabis law in the nation and announce the first round of social equity applications opens on Tuesday, December 10. “Illinois’ challenges are unique because we forged our own path,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “When the calendar hits January…
‘It was time to lead in urgency’ By Genevieve Bookwalter, Chicago Tribune — Hundreds of Evanston residents packed the sanctuary of First Church of God Wednesday evening to participate in a town hall discussion on the next steps in the city’s landmark reparations fund initiative. Evanston City Council passed a measure last month that will funnel the city’s tax revenue generated from the sale of recreational marijuana to a local reparations fund….
Kim Foxx, the Illinois State’s Attorney for Cook County, announced that her office is set to expunge thousands of misdemeanor cannabis convictions in the coming months. By Ny Magee, The Grio — Kim Foxx, the Illinois State’s Attorney for Cook County, announced that her office is set to expunge thousands of misdemeanor cannabis convictions in the coming months. Foxx and her office are in talks with Code for America to identify minor marijuana cases in the…
Calculating the Damage from a Century of Drug Prohibition. By Alfred W. McCoy, TomDispatch — We live in a time of change, when people are questioning old assumptions and seeking new directions. In the ongoing debate over health care, social justice, and border security, there is, however, one overlooked issue that should be at the top of everyone’s agenda, from Democratic Socialists to libertarian Republicans: America’s longest war. No, not…
Public ownership may terrify some in the U.S. but these four enterprises show it’s already far more common than many people realize. By Teke Wiggin, Huffpost — Socialism is buzzing. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), two supporters of democratic socialism, are media stars. American millennials have a more positive view of socialism than capitalism. And President Donald Trump used his State of the Union speech to…
3/18/19 Vantage Point Radio with Dr. Ron Daniels — Topics: Rescuing Black Detroit, Legalizing Marijuana in New York State: A Reparatory Justice Framework. Guests: Korey Batey, Founder, Detroit Ain’t Violent (D.A.V.I.S.) Initiative, Detroit, MI and Kassandra Frederique, New York State Director, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY
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Also visit the Reparations Resource Center here on ibw21.org →
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