Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Reparations Push Follows Race-Based Hiring Scandal [WATCH]

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the launch of a $4.1 million reparations grant program and signed an executive order creating a formal Reparations Task Force during a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony held earlier this week.

The new program, according to the mayor’s office, is aimed at addressing the effects of “historic slavery” and is part of a broader push by the city to fund equity-based initiatives for Black residents.

The announcement comes just one month after Johnson received national attention and federal scrutiny for implementing hiring policies that appeared to favor Black candidates exclusively, prompting an investigation by the Department of Justice into potential civil rights violations.

Mayor Brandon Johnson: “The reason I hire so many blacks to run Chicago is because we’re planet earth’s most generous race” pic.twitter.com/b2qEzWOR5x

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 18, 2025

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During his speech, Johnson said, “Other cultures are taught to never forget. We need to be reminded as blacks here in Chicago and America, remembering our past and working towards a more just future, investing in black is not a criminal act.”

Chicago somehow managed to elect an even worse candidate than Lori Lightfoot.

I think they’ve all just given up.

— Zeek Arkham 🇺🇸 (@ZeekArkham) June 16, 2025

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The newly signed Executive Order 2024-1 establishes a city-funded Reparations Task Force, which will be responsible for recommending specific measures for redress, including possible financial compensation or community reinvestment strategies.

The order mandates that the task force include community stakeholders, policy experts, and local officials to guide its work.

Johnson also drew parallels between the current political climate and the legacy of the Confederacy, referencing the Trump administration.

Chicago’s Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson compares lawful ICE operations to if the Confederacy won the Civil War.

This is what “terrorism looks like.”pic.twitter.com/AisCwGDdGs

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The mayor did not clarify what specific actions he was referring to but framed the task force as part of a long-term effort to deliver justice to Black residents of Chicago.

The announcement follows similar efforts at the state level in California.

In 2020, California launched its own state-level Reparations Task Force, which conducted public hearings and developed a list of policy recommendations over a three-year period.

The California task force initially estimated reparations could cost the state approximately $800 billion—nearly three times its entire annual budget.

Despite the estimate, California lawmakers ultimately budgeted just $12 million for reparations initiatives in 2023, far below what the task force’s findings suggested.

The task force’s operational costs were reported to be more than $5 million per year during its research and outreach phase.

Chicago’s $4.1 million reparations program, which was announced in advance of Juneteenth, will be managed through the city’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice.

Grant guidelines, eligibility requirements, and distribution mechanisms have not yet been publicly released.

The mayor’s office said the task force will begin its formal meetings later this year and will issue an initial report with policy recommendations by early 2026.

Critics of the program have raised concerns about transparency and the scope of the initiative, particularly in light of the DOJ’s ongoing investigation into Johnson’s previous hiring directive.

That policy, which involved prioritizing Black candidates for city jobs, led to questions regarding discrimination and compliance with federal employment law.

The Reparations Task Force is expected to operate with dedicated city funding and will be separate from the mayor’s existing racial equity initiatives.

JUST IN: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wishes everyone “happy Africa Day.”

“Happy Africa Day, everyone!” pic.twitter.com/UiZC8fY8y4

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 26, 2025

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