Reparations advocates push for payments to Black Americans despite budget and legal challenges

Cincinnati NAACP President David Whitehead urged reparations support while Santa Clara County explores compensation and Asheville navigates federal scrutiny. Culture Trends Reparations advocates push for payments to Black Americans despite budget and legal challenges Cincinnati NAACP president urges people not to be opposed to the term 'reparation' as other cities deal with legal pressure and funding issues By Joshua Q. Nelson Fox News Published March 5, 2026 6:00am EST Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video San Francisco residents band together to shut down city's 'race-based' Reparations Fund with lawsuit Richie Greenberg, one of the plaintiffs suing the City of San Francisco over its Reparations Fund, claimed that the measure is divisive as it solely favors Black residents. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! While the measure is being considered by local and state governments across the country, reparations advocates face an uphill battle in some cities, yet remain hopeful. Cincinnati NAACP President David Whitehead last week urged people not to be opposed to the term "reparation" and to be more receptive to it. "I think people get confused and caught up with the word 'reparation,'" Whitehead said. "It’s restoring people that have been unfairly treated." Whitehead's comments coincided with city talks regarding a new reparations program. The program would offer assistance to "low-to-moderate income residents" and "any individual or family member of an individual who was prevented from buying a home due to discriminatory practices," the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. While Cincinnati makes progress in advancing reparations, some places face obstacles due to legal pressure or inaction. There is no clear champion of cash payment reparations in California, considering all the statements from gubernatorial candidates. (Getty Images)In Santa Clara, California, the next step for reparations is unclear. Santa Clara officials in January approved a discussion to explore how the city could compensate Black residents for historic racist practices. "Santa Clara County has a responsibility to confront the harm that has been caused by government systems and policies — including impacts on African Americans here in San Jose and across our region," County Supervisor Betty Duong said at the Jan. 22 meeting. Lavere Foster, the associate director of the African American Community Services Agency in San Jose, told San Jose Spotlight in February that she has been waiting for the measure to appear on the agenda and would be concerned if the measure is not taken up this month. "If we get to March and it’s still not on the agenda, then I’d be really concerned," Foster said.However, the city is currently dealing with budget woes, threatening social security services. "We understand that we’re in a time of budget cuts," Foster told San José Spotlight. "But the goal right now isn’t to ask for, say, a $10 million package." Foster said that San Jose’s vision for the reparations program is beyond strictly dollar amounts. "More so as a way to accumulate generational wealth. Whether that’s a package around housing assistance, getting certain loans paid off or cash, we’re hoping to see the county study something that is actionable, that we can then follow up on," he added.ILLINOIS CITY HANDS OUT $25K CASH PAYMENTS TO 44 BLACK RESIDENTS THROUGH REPARATIONS PROGRAM Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, told Fox News Digital that it's suing the City of Evanston to stop paying Black residents reparations. (Getty Images) Asheville, North Carolina's mayor wants to pursue reparations, but matters are complicated considering legal implications and potential pushback from the Trump administration. The U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to Buncombe County in September threatening to investigate and take action if it approves recommendations from the Asheville-Buncombe Community Reparations Commission."We have a difficult landscape with this administration, unfortunately," Mayor Esther Manheimer told BPR in an interview in February. "But we're committed to the community to carry out the recommendations of the Reparations Commission." Manheimer must overcome a primary race as she runs for re-election to a fourth term. She and her primary opponents were all part of the city council that approved the reparations measure in 2020. When BPR asked what reparations proposal Manheimer would support, she said it's "incredibly complicated.""I think it would behoove us to move forward on those recommendations that we think are going to be less subject to state and federal challenge," she explained. "So, I think there's a lot there to work with and I'm excited to do that." Asheville is also trying to recover from an estimated $1.1 billion in damages from Hurricane Helene. Manheimer has reportedly been traveling to Washington, D.C., to lobby for more federal funding to help with recovery. On Tuesday, the city announced $6.9 million in combined state and federal funding toward rebuilding. Earlier this month, Manheimer testified about their repar