Washington DC - Washington DC appears poised to become the next locality to establish a reparations task force for Black residents after securing funding in the city council's 2025 budget.

The DC Council's $21-billion city budget, finalized Tuesday, includes $1.5 million set aside for the creation of a reparations taskforce, the Washington Post reported.

"It is definitely gratifying to get to this point. But it’s not over yet," Independent Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie told the outlet.

"There's still some steps that we have to get through at the council, but having the funding included in the budget to establish the creation of the commission, to do all the research that’s going to be required to develop potential proposals, is absolutely critical to moving it forward."

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McDuffie is the lead sponsor of legislation to establish a reparations task force and fund in the nation's capital city. He expects the city council to mark up the bill this fall.

With nine co-sponsors, the legislation is expected to pass if it goes to a vote.

Enacting the task force would make Washington DC the latest city to begin the process of providing redress for generations of enslavement and anti-Black discrimination.

As recently as last week, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced he had signed an executive order to establish a reparations task force.

In Evanston, Illinois – the first US municipality to extend reparations to Black residents – a rightwing group has sued in an attempt to block the program.