In Evanston, Illinois, city leaders have decided to give $25,000 each to 44 Black residents as part of a reparations program. This money comes from local taxes and is only being given to Black residents or their descendants who lived in the city from 1919 to 1969. City officials say the money is to help cover housing costs.
This is part of a larger plan that started in 2019 and was approved by the City Council in 2021. The city promised to spend $10 million over ten years for this purpose. So far, they’ve already handed out over $6.3 million to 254 people, and they plan to keep going. The money mostly comes from taxes on real estate sales and marijuana products. The city is even thinking about taxing Delta-8 THC, a type of cannabis, to keep the program going.
But not everyone agrees with this plan. A group called Judicial Watch has filed a lawsuit, saying the program breaks the law because it gives money based on race. They argue that the program violates the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which guarantees equal protection for all Americans. Their president, Tom Fitton, says the city should be stopped before it gives out more money in this way.
This issue is not just about one city. Around the country, more and more local governments are talking about reparations. Some states and cities are forming committees to study the history of slavery and how it still affects people today. These efforts are being promoted by left-wing activists and pushed into government policy.
But we must ask a hard and honest question: is this the right way to heal our nation?
America is a land built on hard work, faith, and freedom. We have never been perfect, but we have always tried to become a better nation. We fought a Civil War to end slavery. We passed civil rights laws to protect every citizen. And millions of Americans of all races have worked side by side to build strong families, strong towns, and a strong nation.
Now we see a growing movement that wants to divide us again—this time by handing out money based on the color of a person’s skin. That is not justice. That is not unity. That is not the American way.
Real fairness does not come from government checks. It comes from opportunity, from strong families, good schools, safe neighborhoods, and faith in God. It comes when we teach our children to love their country, to treat others with respect, and to work for what they earn. Teaching people to see themselves as victims or teaching others to feel guilty for the past only leads to more division.
And we must also be good stewards of public money. Tax dollars are not play money for social experiments. They belong to the people—Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, and every other group. When a city promises to give away millions of dollars to one group based only on race, it is no longer serving all its citizens equally.
We are at a crossroads in this country. We can choose the path of division and bitterness, or we can choose the path of unity and responsibility. The answer is not more government handouts. The answer is to strengthen families, communities, and the values that made America great in the first place.
President Trump has made it clear: we will not bow to the radical left. We will stand for the Constitution. We will protect the rights of every American—not just a few. Let us hope Evanston and other cities remember that before it is too late.
