Meleika Gardner, Evanston resident and founder of Evanston Live TV, said the program has opened the country up to a conversation about reparations — something she never thought was possible for Black Americans while growing up. Gardner believes that the housing program alone should not be called reparations, and that Black residents should also be receiving cash payments. While Evanston is thought to be the first U.S. city to pass a reparations program, the conversation regarding reparations for Black Americans is not new.