Evanston made history as the first city in the country to launch a local reparations program. Since then, the city has distributed more than $7 million to over 200 Black residents who are direct descendants of people harmed by housing discrimination.

Now the federal government is putting its weight behind a lawsuit that claims Evanston’s reparations program violates the 14th Amendment on the grounds of race discrimination.

In the Loop hears from some of the architects of Evanston’s program and a reparations recipient about the impact of the program on the community and why they say it’s necessary.

GUESTS: Mayor Daniel Biss, City of Evanston

Robin Rue Simmons, chair of Evanston Reparations Committee; founder and executive director of FirstRepair

Kimberly Holmes-Ross, executive director of Evanston Cradle to Career; reparations recipients

For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.