A Los Angeles resident displays a sign during the Reparations Task Force’s public input meeting in Los Angeles on September 22, 2022. Photographer: Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
June 04, 2024 Story by: Editor
On Tuesday, June 4, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to examine further efforts to provide reparations to “historically disenfranchised” Black residents. This initiative includes offering free admission for a day this month to attractions like the Natural History Museum and the County Museum of Art.
Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell introduced a motion directing the county CEO and the director of Racial Equity for the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative to review the report from the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans. The board expects recommendations for local reparation efforts within 120 days.
The anticipated report will suggest actions county departments can take to offer reparations to eligible residents. It will also propose language for a board resolution to acknowledge and apologize to Black residents and their descendants for the county’s role in structural racism and associated harms.
“With our history of legalized racism — including but not limited to redlining, housing discrimination, workforce discrimination, and school segregation — our current government needs to act just as resolutely to provide true reparations to historically disenfranchised Black county residents,” states the motion.
Additionally, the motion requests a separate report within 180 days to develop a framework for reparation policies. These policies may include prioritizing housing for descendants of those displaced from their homes, financial restitution for specific injuries, and exploring ways to provide monetary reparations through grants or philanthropic sources. The motion also seeks to support affected residents with grant and loan funding or by waiving permit fees for Black-owned businesses.
Supervisor Mitchell emphasized the importance of eligibility based on self-attestation, as used in various county programs. “This motion is just the next step in a very long journey,” she said.
Supervisor Lindsey Horvath highlighted the county’s commitment since 2020 to addressing systemic racism. In July 2020, the board adopted a motion to position the county as an anti-racist entity and established the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion initiative.
“This motion recognizes the work we still need to do to combat racism and address the legacy of slavery and its impact on African-Americans in Los Angeles today,” Horvath stated. Source: Los Angeles Daily News
The motion also directs the Natural History Museum, the County Museum of Art, the Department of Beaches and Harbors, and other relevant departments to provide a day of free access around the Juneteenth holiday for residents who register for reparations eligibility with the county.
