California Reparations Task Force facts for kids

The California Reparations Task Force is a special group in California. It was created in 2020 by a state law called Assembly Bill 3121. Its main job is to study and suggest ways to make up for the harm caused by slavery and its lasting effects on African Americans. This group focuses especially 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 was set up to look into how systemic racism (unfair systems that hurt certain groups) has affected African Americans. The task force also recommends ways to teach Californians about its findings. It also suggests solutions to help fix these past wrongs.

Nine members make up the task force. The Governor appointed five members. The leader of the Senate appointed two, and the Speaker of the Assembly appointed two. The members decided to focus their study only on descendants of slavery in the United States. They did not include all people of Black African descent living in the U.S.

After nearly three years of research and public meetings, the task force released its final report on June 29, 2023. This report gave recommendations to state lawmakers. It suggested how California should apologize and make amends for its history of unfair treatment against Black residents.

History of the Task Force

The task force started meeting in 2021. In 2022, the group heard many stories. People shared experiences about segregation, redlining (unfair housing rules), and limits on voting. They also discussed if reparations should go to all African Americans in California. Or, should it only go to those whose ancestors were enslaved?

The committee looked at different ideas for reparations. Some calculations suggested large amounts of support for each Black Californian descended from enslaved people. For example, one idea considered the difference in life expectancy between Black and White Californians.

Members like Kamilah Moore pointed out that California might not be able to pay such large amounts directly in cash. She suggested that reparations might come in other forms. This could include things like free healthcare programs or medical clinics. The goal is to provide equal value, not just money.

California is the first U.S. state to create a group like this. It studies unfair treatment against African Americans and suggests reparations. Other countries and the U.S. have done similar things before. For example, Germany paid Holocaust survivors. The United States also paid Japanese Americans who were unfairly held in camps during World War II. In one case, a family's land was taken by the state. It became a state park.

Task Force Members

The members of the California Reparations Task Force are:

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

Eight of the members are African American. One member is Japanese American.

What the Task Force Proposed

The group suggested several solutions. One main idea was a public apology from California. This apology would be for the state's role in allowing slavery. It would also be for the many ways white supremacy has continued to cause harm. The task force also proposed payments or other forms of support for people whose ancestors were enslaved.

Efforts in San Francisco

Many American cities are thinking about similar solutions. 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 up for past wrongs, the San Francisco team pointed out many issues. These issues have held Black communities back. Examples include a statewide ban on affirmative action (policies to help groups that have faced discrimination). They also noted unfair rules that made it hard for Black communities to get medical services.

The San Francisco task force suggested a payment of $5 million for those who qualify. This was an effort to close the wealth gap (the difference in how much money different groups have). This gap has been a key reason for reparations for a long time.

In contrast, the California state task force suggested a sliding scale for payments. This means the amount would change based on different factors. They suggested a limit of $1.2 million for older Black individuals. The idea of cash payments got a lot of attention. However, it is often seen as hard to achieve. This is because the city faces money problems and there is not full agreement on the topic.

See also

• Evanston Reparations Committee
• New York Reparations Task Force
• African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission