Evanston residents Kenneth Wideman, 77, and Shelia Wideman, 75, will soon be awarded the cash – over two years after their names were randomly selected
Since the siblings don’t own property, they did not qualify for two of three of the repayment options – to use the money on mortgage payments or home repairs
The third was a down payment for a home – which they flouted in favor of cash
A pair of Chicago siblings are set to receive $25,000 in reparations cash – as part of the first effort from an American city to make financial amends with its black residents.
Evanston residents Kenneth Wideman, 77, and Shelia Wideman, 75, are poised to collect the sums in the coming weeks – two years after their names were randomly selected along with 16 others out of a Bingo cage as part of the fledgling program.
However, while others received their reparations in a timely manner, the Widemans were somewhat left in the lurch – due to program architects’ decision to forgo direct payouts in lieu of grants to address diminished black homeownership.
Since the siblings do not own any property, they did not qualify for two of three of the repayment options – to use the $25,000 either on mortgage payments, or home repairs.
The third option was a down payment for a new home – a choice the siblings flouted in favor of cash. For months, they besieged members of the committee and city to reconsider their stipulations, leading them to toss them this month.
Now Evanston has voted to allow the siblings to get cash payments of $25,000, making them the first in the US to receive direct money.