EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:

Some institutions are reconsidering or quietly scaling back reparations work in the face of the Trump administration’s campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and its broader efforts to curtail federal support for race-based initiatives and Black history.

Those reversals come while at least part of the world community is reexamining the past. In March the U.N. General Assembly issued a resolution declaring the trafficking of millions of enslaved Africans “the gravest crime against humanity” and calling for reparations.

Despite setbacks from the Trump administration, reparations supporters remain committed to federal redress.

Robin Rue Simmons has been working to address the legacy of slavery in the United States. In Evanston, Illinois, she helped create a $25,000 housing grant for Black residents affected by discriminatory housing policies. Now, she’s expanding this reparations program to over 100 communities nationwide.

This guide includes details on some of the programs started by Simmons’ around the U.S. and other programs that exist or that have been stalled in recent years.

___

READ AP'S COVERAGE

As Trump fights over what America owes, slavery descendants organize for the future

___

SOME REPARATIONS PROGRAMS AROUND THE COUNTRY

Some of these programs continue, others have stopped or been stalled.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

— Georgetown University has been one of the leaders in reparations, offering admission consideration for the descendants of slaves sold by Georgetown’s Jesuit priests to slaveholders in Louisiana, an effort that has continued despite Trump’s crackdown on campus DEI efforts.

ILLINOIS

— Evanston, Illinois: Robin Rue Simmons started the program in Evanston, Illinois, where a $25,000 housing grant was established for Black residents whose families were harmed by discriminatory housing policies. The municipal reparations program is expanding to more than 100 communities. There will be a conference from Dec 2 to 4 in Evanston with more reporting opportunities

— Champagne, Illinois is the latest location that’s seen movement for Simmons' housing grant program. Their reparations network recently received a $1 million donation from a donor to keep their momentum going. This expands the movement towards reparations beyond the legislative path.

MASSACHUSETTS

— A project at Harvard University identified nearly 500 descendants of people enslaved by the school's past leaders. But just days after Trump returned to the White House last year — and signed an anti-DEI order aimed at U.S. universities — Harvard fired the entire team. Harvard declined to comment for AP's story.

NORTH CAROLINA

— Ashville was undergoing some efforts before the Trump administration stopped them after the Justice Department sent a letter threatening legal action. There is a Reparations Stakeholder Authority of Asheville quietly working despite the Trump administration threats.

VIRGINIA

— A handful of Virginia universities have quietly been taking steps to provide scholarships to descendants, as required under a 2021 state law. But otherwise there has been no sign of new scholarship programs being started since Trump returned to office, according to Kirt von Daacke, a University of Virginia historian who leads a consortium of colleges studying slavery.

— The Virginia Theological Seminary’s program makes annual cash payments to the descendants whose family members labored on the Alexandria, Virginia campus during slavery and Jim Crow eras. It is funded by an endowment started in 2019 that has grown from $1.7 million to $2.8 million — payments to individuals vary based on the closest lineage to the family members and continue into perpetuity.

OKLAHOMA

— In Tulsa, there are several reparative initiatives advancing. Along with the Beyond Apology Commission tied to reparations and reconciliation efforts related to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols last year proposed a $105 million reparations initiative connected to the massacre. The status of the disbursement is unclear.

CALIFORNIA

— In Palm Springs, California, roughly $5.9 million in direct financial settlement was recently transferred to the legal representatives of the survivors and their descendants of those evicted from the stretch of land known as Section 14. The case relates to a largely Black neighborhood that was leveled in the 1960s for commercial development.

MISSOURI

— In Kansas City, a Commission on Reparations to study and make recommendations to the city on reparatory justice for past harm and discriminatory practices against Kansas City’s Black community was created by the city's mayor in 2023.The Commission meets the 4th Tuesday of each month on the 10th floor of City Hall from 3 - 5 p.m.

MARYLAND

— The Maryland Reparations Commission was created after the state's General Assembly voted to override Governor Wes Moore’s veto of Senate Bill 587 in December 2025. It is doing ongoing work.

___

CONSIDER THESE REPORTING THREADS

— Is a reparations program being considered in your area? Talk to local justice groups about past or current discussions and what, if any, kind of program has been considered.

— Talk to local and state elected officials about whether they’ve considered a program or if there are pending programs.

— Some universities with direct ties to slavery have pursued reparations programs. Do you live in an area especially impacted by legacies of slavery, unfair housing, health or schooling practices where cities or private institutions may be considering reparations programs?

— What historical inequalities exist in your area -- housing, wealth, educational access -- that a reparations program might address? Talk to experts who have done research on racial disparities in your state or region.

— If you live in an area where a program is in progress or being pursued, talk to organizers, recipients and people who do not agree with the programs. If you’re able to speak to recipients, ask how they feel about the program and how it has or hasn’t benefitted them.

— If there are existing reparations initiatives in your area, have any reconsidered their plans or scaled back in the face of the Trump administration’s campaign against DEI programs?

___

Localize It is a resource produced regularly by The Associated Press for its customers’ use. Questions can be directed to the Local News Success team at localizeit@ap.org. View guides published in the last 30 days here.