Dear Mayor Biss and Evanston City Council,

We are Evanston residents who are encouraged by the city’s resolution toward racial equity and this declaration in that resolution: “Section 4: The City Council of Evanston hereby declares Evanston an anti-racist city that strives to value all citizens, be a welcoming place to all people, and examine its own practices that may unintentionally exclude some of our neighbors; particularly people of color.”(1) 

We believe free and open beaches are directly in line with the language and mission of the city’s forward-looking resolution.

We ask that Mayor Biss and City Council members recognize the exclusionary consequences of beach tokens in this community and make the eradication of this policy a budget priority. 

Evanston beaches and tokens are rooted in a history of racial and economic oppression and exclusion. Beaches were free but officially segregated until 1931 when beach tokens were introduced for white residents only. The tokens were used to fund a ‘beachfront beautification program’ that renovated beaches for white residents only. Black residents were not allowed to purchase tokens and had to utilize free beaches in segregated sections.(2) In 1940 the beach situation was described like this: “Each year a separate bathing beach is designated for the large colored population living in Evanston, the thought being a constant shifting of this location would minimize the adverse effect of negro bathing facilities.“(3) 

Change is hard, but necessary. Evanston’s determination to work toward racial equity makes this the right time to rethink a policy that limits access to Evanston’s beaches for too many of our neighbors. Now is the time to resist giving in to voices of fear and discomfort and to choose imagination over stagnation, inclusion over exclusion, and meaningful change for racial equity over the continuation of practices rooted in racial and economic oppression.

The following organizations and Evanston residents support this request and pledge to join the city in whatever work is needed in the transition to inclusive beaches. Our initial letter to you now has over 5,500 individual signatures on Change.org.

We are eager to hear your thoughts on this important request and welcome a robust community conversation.

Sincerely,

EFBL

Chaneice Brown

Cate Cahan

Richard Cahan

Nina Kavin/Dear Evanston

Geeta Maker-Clark MD

Courtney Reed Tanner

Rachel Rosner

Clare Tallon Ruen - Chair of Watershed Collective

Abdel Shakur

Candice Shakur

Celina Varela

Kristin White

 1. A Resolution Commitment To End Structural Racism And Achieve Racial Equity https://www.cityofevanston.org/home/showdocument?id=49061; June 2019

2. Dream Dancers: E Pluribus Unum-The Battle for American Equality 1924-1947 by Spencer Jourdain and Edwin B. Jourdain, Jr: The Emergence of Black Political Power in Evanston, Illinois, 1931-1947 by Sherman Beverly Jr.; Shorefront Press

3. A map of Evanston issued by the federal government’s Home Owners’ Loan Corporation in 1940 has this caption corresponding to areas along beaches.

From 2020

An Open letter to Evanston Mayor Hagerty and City Council,

Days after thousands of us marched for Black Lives, we, a caucus of concerned Evanstonians, propose that the Evanston beaches of Lake Michigan be made open and free to all people with the goal of racial equity at the forefront. Though the cost and effort to get a beach token or pay a daily fee may seem minimal, it is a barrier to a natural recreational resource that we believe should be easily accessible to all. We don’t want to further amplify the idea that suburbs harbor exclusion. All are welcome in our city and at our beaches.

Fees, tokens, and fencing though seemingly innocuous, act as tools of unofficial segregation reinforcing the status quo of white privilege. Though our beaches are not officially segregated, we know that racial segregation has continued along our nation's waterfronts throughout history. For this reason, we need to actively work to change the status quo. We believe all lifeguards should participate in anti-bias training. Signage acknowledging and apologizing for historic racism at the lakefront should be put in place.

This moment of national outrage demands forward thinking positive ideas to rebuild trust with Black and Brown communities. Slight tweaks, reviews, and calls for calm will not be enough and exacerbate the pain. We believe that making the six city beaches more welcoming would be a small step of progress on the cities’ beginning path of reparations and racial equity. We believe that the formation of 'Friends of Free Beaches' group could raise money to support the city in this effort. Once established as a priority, creative solutions could be found.

This idea is bubbling up as the water has been closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. We affirm the caution with physical health in mind and appreciate that it has highlighted the irony that the closure makes accessing the beach easier and more affordable. As city officials, you do have the power to change the rules we sometimes grow accustomed to without thinking about new possibilities. We ask that you consider this idea as an opportunity to consider new possibilities for our city.

This proposal is dedicated to all the Black and Brown people who have to deal with more barriers to enjoying this city than white people. This is especially obvious in their frequent negative interactions with police. We want Evanston to be as livable for Black and Brown folks as it is for White folks. If we continue to proclaim our diversity, Evanston must become a livable city for all.* 

We will pin our expired beach tokens around town in hopes that they become a thing of the past. Thank you for your service and for initiating a reparations process. We write this with hope and progress in mind.

*The last two sentences of this paragraph were revised 6/10/20

Carta abierta al Ayuntamiento de Evanston, y a su Alcalde, el Sr. Hagerty,

Días después de que miles de personas marcháramos por el movimiento Black Lives Matter, nosotrxs, un grupo de Evanstonianxs preocupadxs, proponemos que las playas a orillas del lago Michigan de Evanston se abran y sean libres para todas las personas, con el objetivo de hacer de este un espacio de equidad racial. Aunque el costo y el esfuerzo para obtener un token de playa o pagar una tarifa diaria puede parecer mínimo, es una barrera para acceder a un recurso recreativo natural que creemos que debería ser fácilmente accesible para todxs. No queremos ampliar aún más la idea de que los suburbios albergan exclusión. Todxs son bienvenidxs en nuestra ciudad y en nuestras playas.

Las tarifas, los tokens y el cerramiento con vallas, aunque aparentemente inocuos, actúan como herramientas de segregación no oficial que refuerzan el status quo del privilegio blanco. Aunque nuestras playas no están segregadas oficialmente, sabemos que la segregación racial ha continuado a lo largo de las costas de nuestra nación a lo largo de la historia. Por esta razón, necesitamos trabajar activamente para cambiar el status quo. Creemos que todxs lxs socorristas deberían participar en cursos de capacitación contra los prejuicios raciales. Se debe establecer una señalización que reconozca y pida perdón por el racismo histórico en la orilla del lago.

Este momento de indignación nacional exige ideas positivas para reconstruir la confianza con las comunidades negras y marrones. Pequeños ajustes, revisiones y llamadas a la calma no serán suficientes y exacerbarían el dolor. Creemos que conseguir que las seis playas de la ciudad sean más acogedoras sería un pequeño paso de progreso en el camino inicial de reparación y equidad racial de la ciudad. Creemos que la formación del grupo 'Amigxs de las playas libres' podría recaudar dinero para apoyar a la ciudad en este esfuerzo. Una vez establecido como una prioridad, se pueden encontrar soluciones creativas.

Esta idea surge ahora que el acceso al agua en las playas se mantiene cerrado debido a la pandemia de Coronavirus. Ratificamos las medidas de precaución en beneficio de la salud física, aunque apreciamos que, irónicamente, este cierre hace que el acceso a la playa sea más fácil y asequible que nunca. Como funcionarixs de la ciudad, ustedes tienen el poder de cambiar las reglas a las que a veces nos acostumbramos sin pensar en nuevas posibilidades. Les pedimos que consideren esta propuesta como una oportunidad para abrir nuevas posibilidades para nuestra ciudad.
Esta propuesta está dedicada a todas las personas negras y marrones que tienen que lidiar con más barreras para disfrutar de esta ciudad que las personas blancas. Esto es especialmente obvio en sus frecuentes interacciones negativas con la policía. Queremos que Evanston sea una ciudad tan habitable para personas negras como lo es para personas blancas. Si continuamos proclamando nuestra diversidad, Evanston debe ser una ciudad habitable para todxs.*
Colocaremos nuestras fichas de playa caducadas en diferentes espacios de la ciudad con la esperanza de que se conviertan en cosa del pasado. Gracias por su servicio y por iniciar un proceso de reparaciones. Escribimos esto con esperanza y progreso en mente.

*Las dos últimas frases han sido revisadas en fecha 6/10/20.