Black activists in California are demanding far more than the budgeted $1.5 million for each individual.
On Saturday, protesters in California asked that the state make up for slavery and subsequent prejudice by paying each Black resident millions of dollars in reparations. They said the state’s ambitious compensation efforts fell short.
These allegations were aired at a meeting of the task group, which was established in 2020 by a state statute signed by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. The meeting was tense and contentious. As they deliberated on what suggestions to bring to the California State Legislature, the panel listened to public comments. If the proposals are approved by the legislature, they will be sent to Governor Newsom for signature.
One of the most outspoken attendees was the Reverend Tony Pierce, an activist. The famous “40 acres and a mule” pledge to freed slaves was the topic of his speech.
You must have realized by now that the sum must equal an acre back in those days. All right, so we got 40. We acquired a total of 40 acres. You’re not going to need me to tell you that number.You constantly attempting to bring up the present, yet when you investigate slavery, you remain silent. “I have nothing,” Pierce replied. Therefore, from the 1860s for 40 acres until now, the obvious amount is $200 million for every African-American.
Pierce, who yelled during most of his speech, became frustrated with the task force when he felt that it wasn’t advocating for a radical enough solution to the problem.
He reassured her that she needed not worry. Just be honest and everything will work out. It is not your job to keep the doors unlocked. Say what the people want to hear and pay attention to what they have to say.
At the end of his speech, Pierce issued a threat to the governor of California. He recognizes me as someone special.
The idea to compensate for past wrongs in California was estimated to cost more than $800 billion by experts. The group consulted with five economists and policy specialists to arrive at the figure. At the time, the organization claimed that the sum did not account for compensation for the loss of value of Black-owned enterprises or the return of property that it claims was wrongfully confiscated.
The annual California state budget is close to $300 billion.
The task force, however, has only shared its most recent recommendations this week. They do not provide an overall price but rather demonstrate a method by which California might calculate the monetary losses suffered by Black people due to discrimination from the state’s inception in 1850.
The research demonstrates the monetary losses incurred by Black people as a result of specific forms of racism and argues that these losses should be compensated for.
Black communities in California lose an estimated $2,352 annually due to police brutality, $3,366 annually due to “discriminatory lending and zoning,” $13,619 annually due to “injustices and discrimination in health,” and $77,000 annually due to the failure of Black-owned businesses.
The task team has just published documents recommending that eligible Black Californians get immediate financial “down payments” while the complete amount of money lost due to racism and slavery is calculated.
Over the course of their lifetime, a Black California resident who is at least 71 years old may get more than $1.2 million in compensation.
However, activists who spoke at the gathering said that such proposals fall short of providing financially stable communities for Black Californians.
That sum of money is completely inadequate. A lady suggested a starting price of $5 million, saying, “It should start at least $5 million like San Francisco.” Like the stimulus checks, we require payments to be sent directly into our bank accounts. We are responsible for it since we were left in charge.
San Francisco is considering options for local restitution that it has developed independently. One proposal is to provide $5 million to every eligible Black person in the country.
Others in attendance concurred that the task group’s present strategy falls short of what’s needed. One speaker urged the task group to award damages of $5 million, as San Francisco is considering doing.
To paraphrase what she had to say: “This million dollars that we hear about in the news is just not enough, and if that’s what this task force is going to recommend for Black Americans after 400 years of slavery and injustice, then it’s just another injustice.” Even a million bucks thrown to us is too much.
It is unclear how California could afford to give every eligible Black person a million dollars, regardless of the exact numbers. In January, Newsom estimated a $22.5 billion deficit for the next fiscal year. The California Legislative Analyst’s Office, which analyzes the budget for the state legislature, released a study a few weeks later stating that Newsom’s estimate was incorrect by nearly $7 billion.
The leaders of the task force have stated that they anticipate concrete compensation figures from the legislature. The statute that established the task force, according to California Department of Justice officials, did not mandate that it seek for funds.
Since slavery never existed in California, critics argue that reparations proposals are not only financially unattainable but also illogical.
However, proponents argue that racism in the state has financially and socially devastated the Black population.
In addition to recommending a public apology from California for slavery and anti-Black racism, the task force also proposes a number of legislative measures to combat racial discrimination, which would be voted by the legislature and signed by the governor.
According to the report compiled by the task group, a new state agency would be in charge of administering the settlements program and determining who would be eligible to receive payments.
Attendees at Saturday’s gathering were overwhelmingly in favor of trying to make apologies. Despite widespread agreement, physical altercations escalated to the point that sparks flew during the heated discussion. The task group head, Kamilah Moore, had to repeatedly ask security to remove people for speaking out of turn or talking over others.
Multiple times throughout the conference, activists screamed at each other, prompting the organizers to temporarily adjourn the gathering.
The settlements working committee will vote on its most recent recommendations on Saturday night. On or before July 1st, the group must submit a final report to the state legislature with its formal recommendations.