Aug 19, 2024 Story by: Editor
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media
(CBM) – On August 15, three key reparations bills authored by Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood) successfully passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Senate Bill (SB) 1403, SB 1050, and SB 1331 now head to the Assembly floor for a full vote. If approved, these bills will be sent to Governor Gavin Newsom for either his signature or veto.
“I want to thank the committee for recognizing the importance of these measures,” Bradford stated. “It underscores the fact that reparations remain an issue that needs to be addressed. We continue to face institutional racism and discrimination in this country.”
SB 1331 proposes the creation of a state treasury account to fund reparations policies approved by the Legislature and the Governor.
SB 1050 focuses on compensating Black Californians who are descendants of enslaved people and lost their homes or land due to racially driven misuse of eminent domain.
SB 1403 aims to establish the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency (CAFAA), a state department responsible for overseeing reparations activities, including verifying individuals’ status as descendants of enslaved people in the U.S.
Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), Chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee, emphasized the importance of moving these bills forward from the “suspense file,” which is designated for legislation expected to cost more than $150,000 to implement.
“We’ve made progress on all reparations bills. This is a critical issue, not just for our state but for the nation,” Wicks said. “It’s time we engage in direct public policy conversations about it. Moving these bills through committee was essential to start that dialogue.”
In June 2023, the California Reparations Task Force submitted its final 1,075-page report to the legislature. The report included 115 recommendations aimed at compensating African Americans for the harms caused by slavery. One recommendation called for a formal state apology to the descendants of enslaved individuals. Assembly Bill (AB) 3089, authored by Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), would mandate this formal apology. AB 3089 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee with a unanimous 5-0 vote, marking it as the fourth reparations bill advanced by the Legislature. Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego) and Sen. Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) abstained from voting.
Chris Lodgson, a member of the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California (CJEC), a Sacramento-based reparations advocacy group, attended the Assembly Appropriations Committee hearing.
“Our ancestors have been with us every step of the way,” Lodgson remarked. “But there’s still more work ahead. We need to push these bills through the Assembly in the next two weeks. Today’s win is crucial for the battles that lie ahead.”
Dawn Paige of Concerned Black Citizens, Inc., traveled from North Carolina to witness the bills’ passage at the State Capitol Annex Swing Space. Sitting alongside CJEC members and other advocates, Paige reflected on her own family’s history, tracing her lineage back to 1721 in Virginia and 1830 in the Carolinas. She works to educate and train communities on advocating for reparations at both the state and federal levels.
Speaking on California’s leadership in shaping reparations policy for the nation, Paige told California Black Media (CBM), “I came here to witness history. We’ve been working so hard for so long, and now we’re seeing positive results. We are winning. There’s no doubt North Carolina was a slave and Jim Crow state, but seeing the state with the fifth-largest economy in the world pushing these bills forward is a monumental step.”
She added, “This shows that reparations can be implemented, and we can apply this model to other states. That’s what I’ll be advocating for in my organizing efforts.”
As Sen. Bradford nears the end of his legislative tenure in November, after serving in both the Assembly and Senate, he hopes these bills and other initiatives led by the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) will set a precedent for other states.
This year, Governor Newsom allocated $12 million in the 2024-2025 budget to support reparations-related legislation.
“This isn’t a handout. It’s what was promised to us 163 years ago, and it’s long overdue,” Bradford said. “I hope this sends a message, not just to California, but to the entire nation, that reparations are a priority. All eyes are on us, and the nation is watching.” Source: The Observer
