Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said on Monday that he signed an executive directive to create a “task force” for the study of reparation payments to black Chicagoans.

The Black Reparations Co-Governance Task Force, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation press release, will examine “all policies which have hurt Black Chicagoans since the slavery era up until the present and make a number of recommendations that can be used as remedies.” Johnson stated in the statement. According to the 2024 equity report, the Chicago Office of Equity and Racial Justice is leading the task force. It has already overseen the submission of “racial justice action plans” by 25 departments of the city.

Johnson stated that “the legacy of slavery and its aftereffects echoes even today.” The executive order identifies the cumulative impact of Jim Crow laws and other discriminatory practices supported by public and private institutions on Black Chicagoans. This includes disparities in life expectations, unemployment, homeownership, home values, incarceration and more.

The Chicago area has focused on reparations, and the northern suburb Evanston began reparations payments in 2019. It was the first city to do this in the United States. Judicial Watch, in a May press release, filed a suit against the city alleging that the program was unconstitutional because it used “race as an eligible requirement for a remediations program.”

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In 2023, the Alameda County in California created a taskforce to investigate compensation payouts. The initial budget for the task force was $51,000. However, in 2024 they requested an additional $5,000,000.

The executive order instructed the task force that they must produce a “City of Chicago Definition and Framework for Black Reparations” within twelve months of their initial meeting. The task force will be working closely with the Chicago City Council Black Caucus, which is composed of 20 members.

In a press release, Chicago City Council Black Caucus chair Stephanie Coleman stated that the executive order is a “major move forward” and praised the Johnson administration for its “continued commitment and support to address the deep wounds caused by centuries of injustice towards the Black community.”

When asked for comment, the Chicago Mayor’s Office referred to the press release.