California’s historic work on possible Black reparations moves to the Legislature
1 year, 5 months ago

California’s historic work on possible Black reparations moves to the Legislature

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Members of California’s Black reparations task force handed off their historic two-year report to state lawmakers Thursday, beginning the next chapter in the long struggle to compensate the descendants of slavery. Amos C. Brown, a longtime civil rights activist and vice-chair of the task force, said California’s projected $31.5 billion budget deficit should not stop the state from making reparations. “Deficits don’t last always.” The nine-member reparations panel convened in June 2021, the year after Newsom signed legislation creating the group. New York may soon follow California by creating a commission to examine the state’s involvement in slavery and consider addressing present-day economic and educational disparities experienced by Black people.

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History of this topic

Fight for reparations in California continues with ballot initiative
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Fight for reparations in California continues with ballot initiative

NPR  

Fight for reparations in California continues with ballot initiative California lawmakers introduced over a dozen first-in-the-nation reparations bills this year, as reparations proponents across the country watched for a blueprint to replicate. CapRadio's Megan Myscofski in Sacramento reports lawmakers are hoping that voters will keep this effort alive this week when they decide on whether or not to keep forced …

California to apologize for state's legacy of racism against Black Americans under new law
2 months, 4 weeks ago

California to apologize for state's legacy of racism against Black Americans under new law

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Reparations supporters plot comeback after bitter defeat in California Legislature
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Reparations supporters plot comeback after bitter defeat in California Legislature

Associated Press  

Still grappling with the fallout from the defeat of two bills in the Legislature’s final hours, backers of reparations geared up for a grinding fight they said could last a decade and debated whether new divisions amongst them are best resolved through reconciliation or open political warfare. “The trust is completely broken between the Black Caucus and reparations organizers,” said …

California Lawmakers Pass Bills To Atone For Racism But Stop Short Of Funding Plans
3 months, 3 weeks ago

California Lawmakers Pass Bills To Atone For Racism But Stop Short Of Funding Plans

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California lawmakers this week passed some of the nation’s most ambitious legislation aimed at atoning for a legacy of racist policies that drove disparities for Black people, from housing to education to health. California Legislative Black Caucus Chair Assemblymember Lori Wilson said Saturday that the Black Caucus pulled the bills, adding the proposals need …

California lawmakers pass landmark bills to atone for racism, but hold off on fund to take action
3 months, 3 weeks ago

California lawmakers pass landmark bills to atone for racism, but hold off on fund to take action

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California lawmakers this week passed some of the nation’s most ambitious legislation aimed at atoning for a legacy of racist policies that drove disparities for Black people, from housing to education to health. California Legislative Black Caucus Chair Assemblymember Lori Wilson said Saturday that the Black Caucus pulled the bills, adding the proposals need more work. Democratic …

Reparations proposals for Black Californians advance to state Assembly
7 months ago

Reparations proposals for Black Californians advance to state Assembly

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Senate advanced a set of ambitious reparations proposals Tuesday, including legislation that would create an agency to help Black families research their family lineage and confirm their eligibility for any future restitution passed by the state. State Sen. Steven Bradford, a Los Angeles-area Democrat, said California “bears great responsibility” to atone for injustices against Black …

After Assembly issues apology for California’s role in slavery, some reparations bills die in Senate
7 months, 1 week ago

After Assembly issues apology for California’s role in slavery, some reparations bills die in Senate

LA Times  

Sen. Steven Bradford, right, saw some of his reparations proposals die in the California Legislature on Thursday amid a state budget deficit. The California Assembly on Thursday voted to issue an official apology for the state’s role in slavery and the systemic racism that ensued, but other bills meant to offer reparations died shortly afterward in the Senate. Bradford said …

California lawmakers say reparations bills, which exclude widespread payments, are a starting point
10 months ago

California lawmakers say reparations bills, which exclude widespread payments, are a starting point

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Black lawmakers in California on Wednesday introduced a package of reparations legislation, calling it a starting point to atone for the state’s legacy of discrimination. The California Legislative Black Caucus introduced the package of more than a dozen proposals months after a first-in-the nation reparations task force sent a report, two years in the making, to lawmakers …

In California, Black lawmakers share a reparations plan with few direct payments
10 months, 3 weeks ago

In California, Black lawmakers share a reparations plan with few direct payments

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — California’s Legislative Black Caucus released a slate of reparations bills to implement ideas from the state’s landmark task force on the issue. State Sen. Steven Bradford, D-Gardena, said at a news conference Thursday that the Black caucus’ priority list does not preclude individual lawmakers from introducing additional reparations legislation. “This is a defining moment not only in …

California lawmakers unveiled 14 reparations bills. None of them call for cash payments
10 months, 3 weeks ago

California lawmakers unveiled 14 reparations bills. None of them call for cash payments

LA Times  

The California Legislative Black Caucus on Wednesday outlined the first set of reparations for the descendants of African Americans who were enslaved in the United States, with proposals that include a call for the state to issue a formal apology, to prohibit involuntary servitude in prisons and to return property seized by governments under race-based eminent domain. The package of …

Editorial: Why skeptical Californians should rethink cash reparations for slavery
1 year, 3 months ago

Editorial: Why skeptical Californians should rethink cash reparations for slavery

LA Times  

Los Angeles resident Walter Foster, 80, holds up a sign as the Reparations Task Force meets to hear public input on reparations at the California Science Center in Los Angeles on Sept. 23, 2022. California’s lawmakers must make them happen The reparations task force has been working for two years on a plan to readdress the generational effects of racism …

California reparations report urges action on housing discrimination and overpolicing
1 year, 5 months ago

California reparations report urges action on housing discrimination and overpolicing

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — It was a report two years in the making — one that details how California, a state that never officially sanctioned slavery, can confront decades of policies that have kept Black residents from living in the neighborhoods they choose, being treated fairly at doctor’s visits and building generational wealth. Here’s what the task force examined: HOUSING DISCRIMINATION …

Editorial: Reparations for slavery are overdue. California’s lawmakers must make them happen
1 year, 5 months ago

Editorial: Reparations for slavery are overdue. California’s lawmakers must make them happen

LA Times  

Dr. Amos C. Brown Jr., vice chair of the California Reparations Task Force, right, holds a copy of the book “Songs of Slavery and Emancipation” in Sacramento on June 16, 2022. An order signed by Gen. William Sherman, with President Lincoln’s approval two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, gave Black people what their community leaders said they most wanted: land. …

California’s reparations proposal moves to Newsom, state lawmakers
1 year, 5 months ago

California’s reparations proposal moves to Newsom, state lawmakers

LA Times  

Bishop Henry C. Williams, of Oakland, testifies during the California Reparations Task Force meeting in Sacramento in March. After two years of deliberations, California’s Reparations Task Force on Thursday sent its final report and recommendations to the state Capitol, where Gov. “For those reactionaries who say slavery is old news and the time for reparations has passed, well, you know …

California’s slavery reparations plan: Eligibility, payments and other details
1 year, 5 months ago

California’s slavery reparations plan: Eligibility, payments and other details

LA Times  

Kamilah Moore, chair of the California Reparations Task Force, and vice chair Dr. Amos C. Brown listen to public input on slavery reparations at the California Science Center in Los Angeles in September. California’s Reparations Task Force on Thursday released its final report, marking a milestone in the state’s historic effort to consider remedies for slavery. Here is quick breakdown …

California reparations task force releases final set of recommendations
1 year, 5 months ago

California reparations task force releases final set of recommendations

CNN  

CNN — A task force examining reparations for Black residents in California released its final report Thursday with more than 115 recommendations for how the state should compensate those harmed by slavery and “historical atrocities.” Recommendations in the landmark report, comprised of more than 1,000 pages, include a formal apology on behalf of California to descendants of people enslaved in …

Column: Newsom and California lawmakers need to say where they stand on reparations for slavery
1 year, 7 months ago

Column: Newsom and California lawmakers need to say where they stand on reparations for slavery

LA Times  

State Sen. Steven Bradford, right, and Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer are members of the California reparations task force Gov. That’s the deadline for the California Reparations Task Force — created by Newsom and legislators — to finish its two years of often-acrimonious work. When asked whether I could quote him, he responded: “Oh, sure, and then I’ll be called a big …

California lawmakers on reparations panel challenge assumptions about payments to Black residents
1 year, 7 months ago

California lawmakers on reparations panel challenge assumptions about payments to Black residents

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As California lawmakers hail the work of a historic panel that has delved into reparations proposals for African Americans for nearly two years, a state senator on the task force is warning Black residents to not assume that large cash payments are on the way. “That’s just not happening.” The task force on Saturday approved proposals in …

California governor responds to recommended reparations payments for Black residents
1 year, 7 months ago

California governor responds to recommended reparations payments for Black residents

CNN  

CNN — California’s governor responded Wednesday to the reparations payments for some Black state residents that were recommended by a task force looking at how to mitigate injustices and discrimination stemming from slavery. “Many of the recommendations put forward by the Task Force are critical action items we’ve already been hard at work addressing: breaking down barriers to vote, bolstering …

Reparations task force votes to approve recommendations for the payments of reparations to Black Californians
1 year, 7 months ago

Reparations task force votes to approve recommendations for the payments of reparations to Black Californians

CNN  

CNN — A panel in California created to consider reparations for Black residents voted over the weekend to approve recommendations for the payments of reparations to Black Californians for injustices and discrimination stemming from slavery. Saturday’s meeting in Oakland was the 15th public meeting of the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, according to Kamilah …

Is California giving reparations for slavery? Here’s what you need to know
1 year, 7 months ago

Is California giving reparations for slavery? Here’s what you need to know

LA Times  

Amos C. Brown Jr., vice chair of the California Reparations Task Force, right, holds a copy of “Songs of Slavery and Emancipation” during a group photo at the Capitol in Sacramento in June. California’s Reparations Task Force voted on Saturday to recommend that the state issue a formal apology for slavery and potentially provide billions of dollars in cash payments, …

California reparations amount, if any, left to politicians
1 year, 8 months ago

California reparations amount, if any, left to politicians

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — The leader of California’s first-in-the-nation reparations task force on Wednesday said it won’t take a stance on how much the state should compensate Black residents whom economists estimate may be owed more than $800 billion for decades of over-policing, disproportionate incarceration and housing discrimination. The $800 billion is more than 2.5 times California’s $300 billion annual budget …

California’s reparations task force will leave setting payment amounts to Legislature
1 year, 8 months ago

California’s reparations task force will leave setting payment amounts to Legislature

LA Times  

Morris Griffin of Los Angeles speaks during the public comment portion of a California reparations task force meeting in Sacramento on March 3. The leader of California’s first-in-the-nation reparations task force on Wednesday said it won’t take a stance on how much the state should compensate Black residents, whom economists estimate may be owed more than $800 billion for decades …

San Francisco leaders show early support for $5 million reparation payments for eligible Black residents
1 year, 9 months ago

San Francisco leaders show early support for $5 million reparation payments for eligible Black residents

CNN  

CNN — A one-time payment of $5 million to each eligible Black resident is among recommendations unanimously accepted by San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors as part of a draft plan by a panel proposing reparations. The move Tuesday was an intermediate step, with a final report that includes board feedback due in June, the San Francisco African American Reparations Advisory …

San Francisco reparations committee proposes a $5 million payment to each Black resident
1 year, 11 months ago

San Francisco reparations committee proposes a $5 million payment to each Black resident

CNN  

CNN — A committee in San Francisco has released an extensive proposal for reparations that includes a one-time payment of $5 million to each eligible Black resident. The San Francisco African American Reparations Advisory Committee, created in 2020 under the city’s human rights commission, was tasked to develop a plan to address “the institutional, City sanctioned harm that has been …

California reparations task force dives into what is owed
2 years ago

California reparations task force dives into what is owed

Associated Press  

OAKLAND, Calif. — After more than a year delving into history and studies to make its case for reparations to California descendants of enslaved Black people, a first-in-the-nation task force began deliberations Wednesday to quantify how financial compensation might be calculated and what might be required to prove eligibility. On Wednesday, the Boston City Council voted to form a task …

California reparations task force to talk eligibility
2 years ago

California reparations task force to talk eligibility

LA Times  

Amos Brown, vice chair of the California Reparations Task Force, holds a copy of the book “Songs of Slavery and Emancipation” while posing for photos with other members of the task force at the Capitol in Sacramento. The first-in-the-nation task force previously voted to limit reparations to Black California residents whose ancestors were living in the United States in the …

Newsom's reparations board wants EVERY African American in US to get at least $223k
2 years ago

Newsom's reparations board wants EVERY African American in US to get at least $223k

Daily Mail  

A taskforce set up by California Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging the federal government to pay every African American in the US at least $223k for 'housing discrimination' - while continuing to probe other areas for compensation. Gavin Newsom is urging the federal government to pay every African American in the US at least $223k for 'housing discrimination' - while …

California reparations task force starts to dig in on specifics
2 years, 3 months ago

California reparations task force starts to dig in on specifics

LA Times  

Kamilah Moore, chair of the California Reparations Task Force, speaks Friday at a Los Angeles meeting seeking public input on the work of compensating Black residents whose families suffered from slavery. These and many other questions were the subject of a two-day hearing by California’s Reparations Task Force, a first-in-the-nation panel established in 2020 to develop proposals for potential reparations …

Slave reparations advocates hail historic California report
2 years, 6 months ago

Slave reparations advocates hail historic California report

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — The slavery reparations movement hit a watershed moment Wednesday with the release of an exhaustive report detailing California’s role in perpetuating discrimination against African Americans, a major step toward educating the public and setting the stage for an official government apology and case for financial restitution. The state’s Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office is assisting the …

California to unveil groundbreaking slave reparations report
2 years, 6 months ago

California to unveil groundbreaking slave reparations report

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy California’s first-in-the-nation task force on reparations for African …

California unveils the US’s first slave reparations report
2 years, 6 months ago

California unveils the US’s first slave reparations report

Al Jazeera  

California’s task force on reparations for Black people in the United States – the first-ever in the nation – has released a report documenting in detail discrimination perpetrated by the state and recommending steps to address those wrongs. “Four hundred years of discrimination has resulted in an enormous and persistent wealth gap between Black and white Americans,” according to the …

California panel OKs reparations limit for slave descendants
2 years, 8 months ago

California panel OKs reparations limit for slave descendants

Associated Press  

California’s first-in-the-nation task force on reparations has decided to limit state compensation to the descendants of free and enslaved Black people who were in the U.S. in the 19th century, narrowly rejecting a proposal to include all Black people regardless of lineage. Civil rights attorney and task force member Lisa Holder proposed directing economists working with the task force to …

Calif. group votes to limit reparations to slave descendants
2 years, 8 months ago

Calif. group votes to limit reparations to slave descendants

Associated Press  

California’s first-in-the-nation task force on reparations voted Tuesday to limit state compensation to the descendants of free and enslaved Black people who were in the U.S. in the 19th century, narrowly rejecting a proposal to include all Black people regardless of lineage. Civil rights attorney and task force member Lisa Holder proposed directing economists working with the task force to …

California’s reparations effort moves ahead: Here’s what’s next
2 years, 8 months ago

California’s reparations effort moves ahead: Here’s what’s next

LA Times  

California’s Reparations Task Force voted Tuesday to define those who are eligible for reparations as descendants of African Americans enslaved in the U.S. or of free Black people living in the country before the end of the 19th century. The motion that narrowly passed defines “the community of eligibility based on lineage determined by an individual being an African American …

California created the nation’s first state reparations task force. Now comes the hard part
3 years ago

California created the nation’s first state reparations task force. Now comes the hard part

LA Times  

An aerial view of the Manhattan Beach property known as Bruce’s Beach, once one of the most prominent Black-owned resorts by the sea in the early 20th century. “Now, undergirding all of that, is the reality that we also live in a society that has done a very poor job of informing the general public about what this country has …

California task force launches study of slave reparations
3 years, 6 months ago

California task force launches study of slave reparations

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — A first-in-the-nation task force in California to study and recommend reparations for African Americans held its inaugural meeting Tuesday, launching a two-year process to address the harms of slavery and systemic racism despite the federal government’s inaction. “I’m so thankful to my ancestors, who survived so much trauma, so much pain, so much tragedy, so much brutality, …

California Task Force Launches Study Of Slave Reparations
3 years, 6 months ago

California Task Force Launches Study Of Slave Reparations

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING SAN FRANCISCO — A first-in-the-country task force in California to study and recommend reparations for African Americans is conducting its inaugural meeting, launching a two-year process to address the harms of slavery and systemic racism. Tuesday’s meeting of the first state reparations committee in the U.S. came as President Joe Biden commemorated the lives of hundreds of …

California’s slavery reparations task force is convening. Here’s what happens next
3 years, 6 months ago

California’s slavery reparations task force is convening. Here’s what happens next

LA Times  

Former Assemblywoman Shirley Weber of San Diego, now California’s secretary of State, speaks during a news conference in Sacramento on June 2, 2020. A historic California task force met for the first time Tuesday with the ultimate goal of recommending reparations for descendants of enslaved people and those affected by slavery. “You’re here today not just to sit and answer …

California to study reparations for Black Americans
4 years, 2 months ago

California to study reparations for Black Americans

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will develop a detailed plan for reparations under a new law signed on Wednesday by Gov. The law creates a nine-member task force to come up with proposals for how the state could provide reparations to Black Americans, what form those reparations might take and who would be eligible to receive them. The law does not …

California task force will consider paying reparations for slavery
4 years, 2 months ago

California task force will consider paying reparations for slavery

LA Times  

California Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, is the author of AB 3121, which would create a task force to recommend appropriate slavery reparations and determine who should be eligible to receive compensation. Gavin Newsom’s signature, California became the first state government in the country on Wednesday to adopt a law to study and develop proposals for …

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