Key Points
- The city of Providence in Rhode Island has allocated $10 million in reparations for black and indigenous residents – but the move has sparked backlash because some white residents will also be eligible to apply.
- Mayor Jorge Elorza signed the budget into law in November to deliver the funds to some of the city’s black and Native American communities, who will qualify automatically for some of its perks.
- But because the federal funds can’t be earmarked for specific races, white residents – who make up a third of the city’s population – can also apply as long as they earn less than around $50,000 a year, live in certain neighborhoods, and have been resident in the state for at least three years.
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