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Mayor Brandon Johnson Launches Repair Chicago Engagement Series and Survey to Inform City's Reparations Study

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CHICAGO ~ Chicago Mayor Launches Citywide Community Engagement Effort to Explore Reparations for Black Chicagoans

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has announced the launch of Repair Chicago, a citywide community engagement effort aimed at addressing the systemic harm faced by Black Chicagoans and devising reparatory pathways. The initiative will involve various forms of engagement, including bus tours, panel discussions, town halls, and hearings, to gather the experiences and input of Chicago residents and inform the Johnson administration's Reparations Study.

In a statement, Mayor Johnson emphasized the importance of centering the voices and experiences of Black Chicagoans in this work. "Your experience is evidence - and we've placed it at the center of our work," he said. "Repair Chicago is about listening to Black Chicagoans across our city, acknowledging the harms of the past and present, and building a path forward rooted in truth, accountability, and opportunity."

As part of this engagement effort, Black Chicagoans are invited to complete a public survey available at Chicago.gov/RepairChicago until May 31. The survey aims to gather lived experiences and further understand systemic harms faced by Black communities. Participants will also have the chance to enter a gift card drawing.

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The feedback and resident testimonials collected through this process will guide the development of Chicago's first comprehensive reparations study - a historic step towards acknowledging, addressing, and repairing generations of harm experienced by Black communities.

The community engagement process will involve input from residents across the city to better understand how systemic racism has shaped their lives, opportunities, and well-being over generations. The Mayor's Office of Equity and Racial Justice (OERJ) is leading this effort with a focus on inclusivity and collaborative decision-making.

Carla Kupe, Chief Equity Officer for OERJ stressed the importance of centering community voices in discussions about reparations. "We cannot talk about reparations without centering the lived experiences of Black Chicagoans," she said. "This series is an opportunity to listen deeply, learn collectively, and ensure that community voice is not symbolic, but foundational to the policies and recommendations the task force brings forward through the study."

The engagement opportunities will kick off with a panel conversation titled "From Understanding to Action" on Tuesday, March 24 at It Takes A Village Academy. This will be followed by a series of bus tours, community town halls, and public hearings throughout May, providing residents from all over the city with the chance to participate in the conversation, share their experiences, and help shape the future of reparations in Chicago.

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The first town hall will take place on Thursday, April 9 at Malcolm X College and will be followed by another on Wednesday, April 22 at Kennedy King College. Both events are open forums for residents to share their experiences and perspectives.

OERJ will work closely with Chicago's Reparations Taskforce and consultants from prominent community-based organizations specializing in archival research, qualitative data, and communications to compile and synthesize both existing data and new insights gathered through this engagement series.

Mayor Johnson has been committed to reparations efforts since he codified them in a 2024 executive order. The order established Chicago's Reparations Task Force to support the development of the city's Reparations Study and called for a broader community engagement strategy to gather lived experiences of harm from Black Chicagoans. To learn more about this work and how you can join task force meetings, visit chicago.gov/reparations.

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