Today’s show is a rebroadcast from March 29, 2021.

On tonight’s edition of Bring It On!, hosts William Hosea and Liz Mitchell are joined by Alderwoman Rue Simmons of the City of Evanston to discuss the city’s decision to offer reparations to its Black residents.

On March 22, 2021, the City Council of Evanston, Illinois voted 8-1 to distribute $400,000 to eligible Black households. The reparations are for the effects of years of discriminatory housing practices and will be distributed in the form of up to $25,000 per household for repairs and home down payments.

The discussion about paying reparations to Black Americans for years of sustained racist oppression has gained new life during the recent calls for social justice. Evanston is planning to use 3% of marijuana sales taxes to fund reparations. Other cities, like Amherst, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; Asheville, North Carolina; Iowa City, Iowa; and Burlington, Vermont, have begun establishing committees to study how to properly provide compensation.

Special Feature – Dark Past, Bright Future

The show ends today with Bring It On’s Liz Mitchell presenting a brief history of the story of Madame C.J. Walker’s triumph over adversity to become the first Black woman millionaire in America in a special segment called, Dark Past, Bright Future. This semi-regular segment features accounts of African-American accomplishments in U.S. history that oftentimes get overlooked.

Credits:

Today’s hosts are William Hosea, Liz Mitchell, and Clarence Boone.
Our show’s Executive Producer is Clarence Boone.
Our Assistant Producer is William Hosea.
Our Consultant and WFHB News Department Director is Kade Young.
Our Program Engineer is Chantalle LaFontant.
Our original theme music was created by Jamyl Efiom, with additional background tracks by David Baker.