California Reparations Task Force facts for kids

The California Reparations Task Force was a special group in California. It was created in 2020 by a law called Assembly Bill 3121. Its main job was to study and suggest ways to make up for the harm caused by slavery and its lasting effects on African Americans. This group was especially focused on people who are descendants of those enslaved in the United States.

This task force was the first of its kind in any U.S. state. It aimed to understand how systemic racism (unfair systems that affect a group of people) against African Americans came from slavery. The group also planned to recommend ways to teach Californians about their findings and suggest solutions.

Nine members were part of the task force. Five were chosen by the governor, two by the Senate leader, and two by the Assembly speaker. The members decided to focus their study only on descendants of people enslaved in the United States before the Civil War. They did not include all people of Black African descent living in the U.S.

After nearly three years of research, reports, and public meetings, the task force finished its work. On June 29, 2023, it gave its final report to state lawmakers. This report included recommendations on how California should apologize and make up for its history of racial unfairness against Black residents.

How the Task Force Started

The task force began its meetings in 2021. In 2022, the group heard many stories about unfair practices. These included segregation (keeping groups of people separate), redlining (making it hard for people in certain areas to get loans), and rules that limited voting.

The members discussed if reparations should go to all African Americans in California. They also considered if only those whose ancestors were enslaved should receive them. The committee saw estimates that suggested large amounts of money. Some figures were hundreds of thousands of dollars for each Californian who could prove they were a descendant of an enslaved person. One idea was "just under $1 million for each Black Californian descended from slaves." This was based on the difference in life expectancy between Black and White Californians.

Kamilah Moore, a member, pointed out that California might not be able to pay such a large amount directly. She suggested that reparations might not always be cash. They could be things of equal value, like free health care programs or medical clinics.

California was the first U.S. state to create a group to study discrimination against African Americans. It also recommended ways to make things right. Other countries and the U.S. have done similar things before. For example, Germany paid money to Holocaust survivors. The United States also paid Japanese Americans who were held in camps during World War II. In one case, a family's land was taken by the state and became a state park.

Who Were the Task Force Members?

The members of the task force were:

• Senator Steven Bradford
• Amos C. Brown
• Cheryl Grills
• Lisa Holder
• Assembly member Reginald Jones-Sawyer
• Jovan Scott Lewis
• Kamilah Moore (who was the Chair)
• Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe
• Councilmember Donald K. Tamaki

Eight of the members were African American, and one was Japanese American.

What Did the Task Force Do?

The group suggested several solutions. These included a public apology from California for its part in allowing slavery. They also proposed payments to people whose ancestors were enslaved. The California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans gave its final report to the California Legislature on June 29, 2023.

Reparations in San Francisco

Many American cities are thinking about similar solutions. However, San Francisco has been very active. Its own 15-member task team gave city officials 111 ideas in an early report.

Besides ideas for making things right, the San Francisco team pointed out many issues that have held Black communities back. These included a statewide ban on affirmative action (policies to help groups that have been discriminated against). They also noted unfair rules that made it hard to get medical services.

The San Francisco city task force suggested a one-time payment of $5 million to anyone who qualifies. This was an effort to close the racial wealth gap, which is a big reason for reparations. In contrast, the California state task force suggested a sliding scale for payments. This meant the amount would change based on different factors. It had a limit of $1.2 million for older Black individuals. The idea of cash payments got a lot of attention. However, many saw it as hard to achieve in a city with money problems and little political agreement.

What Were the Results?

One of the Task Force's recommendations was to remove a special rule from the state constitution. This rule, called the Penal exception clause, allowed slavery and forced labor for people convicted of crimes. The Legislature agreed to put this idea on the November 2024 ballot as ACA 8 on June 27, 2024.

See also

• Evanston Reparations Committee
• New York Reparations Task Force
• African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission
• SupportReparations.org
• Alliancefor.org