Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced a task force Monday that will focus on reparations for black residents in the city.
The Black Reparations Task Force will conduct a study to examine policies that have “harmed Black Chicagoans from the slavery era to present day” and present its findings after one year. Johnson made the announcement at the start of the week of the Juneteenth holiday.
“Today’s Executive Order is not just a public declaration; it is a pledge to shape the future of our city by confronting the legacy of inequity that has plagued Chicago for far too long,” Johnson said in a statement.
“In partnership with the Chicago City Council Black Caucus and our dedicated allies, we are continuing to build on the bedrock of my administration to move forward in reconciliation through targeted investments aimed at rectifying decades of deliberate disinvestment in Black neighborhoods and communities,” the mayor continued.
The announcement did not say what exactly the reparations would be or if they would be monetary. Alderman Jason Ervin told NBC Chicago that cash payments are not the only way to disperse reparations.
“People always associate reparations with money, but there are policy changes and other items that can be done to repair the harm that such policies have caused,” he said.
