https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-reparations-program-juneteenth-holiday/3466226/
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has announced the formation of a new taskforce aimed at considering reparations for Black Chicagoans.
Noting that Juneteenth was just days away, Johnson issued an executive order for the formation of the taskforce, who will be asked to evaluate the idea of reparations over the course of the next year. The mayor called it a pledge to confront the legacy of inequity in both Chicago and the U.S.
“On behalf of the city of Chicago, I apologize for the historic wrongs committed on Black people in Chicago,” he said. “Now is the time to deliver good on reparations for people of Chicago, in particular Black people.”
According to the press release, the taskforce will conduct a study and examination of “all policies that have harmed Black Chicagoans,” ranging from slavery to policies that included redlining and other discriminatory acts.
The executive order did not specify whether such reparations would include cash payments, but Ald. Jason Ervin says there are myriad ways of righting historical wrongs.
“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.
The taskforce will have a period of one year to issue its recommendations.