"Historic" and "the first of its kind in the nation."

That's what Providence Mayor Elorza called it when he signed an executive order Wednesday in the city to recognize the wrongs of the past in the wake of the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement.

The social upheaval triggered by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, around the world and close to home, is leading to governmental change.

Elorza has crafted a three-step process to tackle inequality. First, gather relevant historical facts, followed by a reconciliation phase by people of all backgrounds, and finally, a committee-determined set of recommendations on any kind of reparations.

Elorza explained, "The first step of the process will be the truth-telling. The second would be reconciliation, that community healing. And once we've set the table, then it's a question, 'Well, what are we going to do about that?' And that's where the reparations part comes in."

The Republican Party in Rhode Island said the mayor should have other priorities besides this executive order.

Sue Cienki, the state's Republican Party chairperson, said, "If you're not educating your students up in Providence, that is a significant problem," relating to the failed public school system, that is undergoing a complete overhaul. "How do you make Black Lives better? You educate the population," added Cienki.

Elorza said those who feel marginalized by the system, and those who wish to give their input to be part of the solution, are invited to participate in the formulation and execution of the phases.

"Just going through the processes," citing South Africa and Northern Ireland as examples, "leads those communities through a healing process that is profound, that creates a sense of unity and bringing people together."

"He's talking about reparations," pointed out Cienki, "which, I think, is an absurd idea for a city on the verge of bankruptcy. He has many unfunded pension liabilities in the billions of dollars."

Elorza pointed out, though, "When people focus too much on the reparations part, they think about dollars, and they think about checks being sent out. And there is something inherently divisive about that."

No exact timeline for the three phases was given.