By PHILIP MARCELO

Rhode Island’s capital city is looking at providing reparations to residents of African and Native American heritage, Providence Mayor Jorge Elzorza announced Wednesday.

The Democratic mayor signed an executive order creating a “Truth-Telling, Reconciliation and Municipal Reparations Process” that would examine the feasibility of providing reparations, which are typically direct cash payments to individuals.

Elorza said it’s the first step in accepting the city’s role in the country’s fraught racial history, including Black slavery and mistreatment of Native Americans.

“We’re putting a marker on the ground and committing to elevating this conversation and using the levers at our disposal to correct the wrongs of the past,” he said.