This narrowly rejected a proposal to include all Black people, regardless of their lineage.
Tuesday’s vote was 5-4. The debate lasted hours and was sometimes emotional and testy. The Rev. Amos Brown, president and vice-chair of the task force in San Francisco, was begging the commission for clarity on who would be eligible to receive restitution.
He said, “Please, please and please, I beg you tonight, take that first step.” “We have to provide emergency treatment where it is required.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation establishing the two-year reparations taskforce in 2020. California is the only state to proceed with a study plan and study, with the mission to study slavery and its effects and educate the public.
The federal government has not made any progress in resolving the problem, but cities and universities have begun to address the issue. In February, the mayor of Providence (Rhode Island) announced a commission for cities, while Boston is currently considering a proposal to create its own reparations committee.
Evanston, a Chicago suburb, was the first U.S. municipality to offer reparations to Black residents last January. However, some feel that the program did not do enough to correct a wrong.
California’s task force members, nearly all of whom can trace back their families to enslaved ancestors in America, were well aware that the outcome of their discussions on a key question would influence reparations discussions throughout the country. The governor appointed the members, along with the leaders of both legislative chambers.
People who favor a lineage approach believe that a plan for compensation and restitution based on race rather than genealogy has the best chance of being successful in a legal challenge. The government also granted eligibility to all Black immigrants to the country who arrived before the 20th Century. This was due to possible difficulties in documenting their family history and the possibility of being enslaved.
Others on the task force suggested that reparations should be extended to all Black Americans in America who are victims of systemic racism in education, housing, and employment. They also claimed they were not defining eligibility early enough.
Lisa Holder, a civil rights lawyer and member of the task force, proposed that economists working with them use California’s estimated 2 million Black residents to calculate compensation. While they hear from the public, the task force will continue to hear from the public.
She stated, “We must galvanize the base, and that is Black people.” “We cannot enter into this reparations proposal unless all African Americans living in California are behind us.”
Kamilah Moore (a lawyer and chair) said that expanding eligibility would cause its own problems and was not the purpose of this task force.
She stated that this would aggrieve victims of slavery, who are direct descendants of enslaved Americans. It is against the spirit and intent of the law.
Even though the two-year process is only one year old, there is no compensation plan. Advocates for long have stressed the need to find multifaceted solutions for the related but separate harms of slavery, Jim Crow laws and mass incarceration that led to the displacement of Black communities.
Advocates suggest that compensation could include grants to churches or community organizations as well as assistance in purchasing homes and launching businesses.
Since its June meeting, the task force has been plagued by the eligibility question. In June, viewers called in to plead with the group of nine members to develop targeted proposals and cash payments to help the descendants of enslaved Americans in the U.S.
Arthur Ward, a Chicago resident, called Tuesday’s virtual meeting to say that he is a descendant from enslaved people. He also has relatives in California. He supported reparations that are based on lineage, and expressed disappointment at the panel’s concern over Black immigrants who have experienced racism.
Ward stated, “When it comes down to some type of justice, some sort of recompense we are supposed to step back and allow Carribeans to be prioritized.” It is insulting to take so long to decide on something that shouldn’t even be a question.
Reginald Jones, a California Assemblyman, voted against restricting eligibility. He said that while there is no doubt that descendants of slaves are priority, he also said that the task force must stop ongoing harm and prevent any future racism. He expressed his wish that the panel would not be arguing about money and instead start to discuss how to close the severe wealth gap.
He said, “We are arguing about cash payments. Which I firmly believe are not the be all or end all.”
Critics of reparations claim that California is not obligated to pay, as the state didn’t practice slavery or enforce Jim Crow laws that discriminated against Blacks in the south.
The committee heard testimony that California and other local governments conspired to strip Black people of their property and wages, which prevented them from building wealth and passing it on to their children. They were forced to live with predominantly minority neighbors and were not able to get loans to buy property.
While Black residents make up 5% of the state population, they are overrepresented in prisons, prisons and homeless communities. According to testimony, Black homeowners still face discrimination through home appraisals that are substantially lower than those of white homeowners or in white neighborhoods.
The Legislature must receive a report by June and a proposal for reparations by July 2023 to be considered for incorporation into law.
