Chicago Mayor Signs Executive Order to Form ‘Reparations Task Force’

Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks to guests after taking the oath of office in Chicago, on May 15, 2023. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order on June 17 to form a Reparations Task Force aimed at addressing the “past injustices and present harm” caused to black residents by the city’s policies.

The task force will conduct a study on “all policies that have harmed Black Chicagoans from the slavery era to the present day,” and recommend appropriate remedies and restitution, according to the executive order.

“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,” Mr. 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,” he added.

The task force will also create a definition and framework for reparations and identify “core issue areas” for reparative action, such as housing, economic development, health, and education.

The mayor has previously set aside $500,000 in the budget for studying reparations and restoration, according to his office.

Mayor Apologizes to Black Chicagoans

In his executive order, the mayor said he acknowledges the “legacy of chattel slavery and Jim Crow laws as incompatible” with the city’s current values and principles.

Mr. Johnson also apologized on behalf of the city for the historical injustices committed against black Chicagoans, noting that the laws had led to “disparities in life expectancy, unemployment, homeownership rates, home value, incarceration, and more.”

“As a Black man, and as the leader of a major U.S. city, I have a responsibility to set the tone on how we rectify decades of neglect,” the mayor stated on social media platform X.

“Today’s Executive Order on the Black Reparations Agenda is a pledge to confront Chicago’s legacy of inequity,” he added.

The executive order states that Jim Crow laws—which legalized racial segregation—had “denied Black Americans liberty, citizenship, rights, and the ability to benefit from the wealth generated from their labor.”

Mr. Johnson also stated in his executive order that Chicago “perpetuated, condoned, profited and benefited” from the system of chattel slavery.

“The City has a responsibility to address the historic and present-day racial inequities by reflecting on laws, policies, and procedures, that have systematically contributed to and exacerbated racial inequities and by identifying appropriate remedies,” according to the order.

About 29 percent of the city’s population is black or African American, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Nearly half of these residents live in neighborhoods with high levels of cumulative environmental, health, and socio-demographic stressors, the executive order stated.