St. Louis, Missouri - Tishaura Jones, St. Louis' first Black female mayor, signed an executive order on Wednesday to establish a reparations commission in the city.

St. Louis became the latest US location to establish a reparations task force when Mayor Jones signed Executive Order No. 74 to create the "community-driven commission."

It will look at the history of slavery and segregation in the city and the effects that still exist today, and come up with a proposal "to begin repairing the harms that have been inflicted."

Nearly half of St. Louis' 300,000 residents are Black. For years, the city has grappled with stark racial disparities when it comes to wealth, housing, health, education, and more. Racial justice experts say these problems stem from generations of racist policy at the federal, state, and local levels.

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The nine members of the reparations commission, all St. Louis residents, will be named by Jones, who is a member of the Mayors Organizing for Reparations and Equity (MORE) coalition.

The appointees will include at least one civil rights advocate, one attorney, one ordained member of the faith community, one college or university professor, one public health professional, and one youth between the ages of 15 and 18.

"The people closest to the problems are closest to the solution," Jones said in a Thursday press release. "I look forward to reviewing this commission’s work to chart a course that restores the vitality of Black communities in our city after decades of disinvestment. We cannot succeed as a city if one half is allowed to fail."

The commission's first monthly meeting is set to take place within 45 days of its appointment. There is no deadline for the members to release their findings, but public input is required before final recommendations are proposed.