California Gov. Gavin Newsom, 55, approved Assembly Bill AB 3121 Sept. 30, 2020, authorizing a Slavery Reparations Task Force to see what could be done to compensate African American descendents of slavery Newsom expressed strong support for the Task Force to come up with various recommendations for monetary compensation and a host of systemic ideas for California law to rewrite discrimination out government and other institutions. When the Task Force finished its work May 6, they recommended some $800 billion in cash payments of California African Americans dealing with generations of discrimination built into the system. “This has been an important process, and we should continue to work as a nation to reconcile our original sin of slavery and understand how that history has shaped our country,” Newsom said about the Task Force’s work.
Newsom understands that California faces a state budget deficit of about $30 billion and doesn’t have the surplus $800 billion to pay Africans Americans claiming injuries by the system affecting every aspect of life since the State entered the union Sept. 9, 1850. California’s Slavery Task Force estimated the monetary damages for every African American 71-years-old at $1.2 million, something calculated from a loss of income and wealth due to systemic racism in California. “Dealing with that legacy is about much more that cash payments,” Newsom said, throwing cold water on 76-year-old Rep. Barbara Lee’s hard work. Newsom’s refusal to endorse the Task Force recommendations stems from the fact there’s no cash in California’s budget to accommodate demands by the Task Force. Task Force took many factors into account to arrive at the exact cash figures.
Nine Task Force members concluded that racial discrimination entered into education, housing, saving accounts and lifestyle, comparing Black income, housing levels and overall prosperity to Whites. “Many of the recommendations put forward by the Task Force are critical action items we’ve already been hard tat work addressing,, breaking down barriers to vote, bolstering resources to address hate, enacting sweeping law enforcement and justice reforms to built trust and safety, strengthening economic mobility—all while investing billions to root out disparities and improve equity in housing, education, health care and well beyond,” Newsom said, reluctant to endorse cash payments. Whether Newsom would pay Africans Americans cash reparations or not, the state doesn’t have the funds now, nor would it have the surplus in the future to pay African Americans.
When the Task Force finished its work May 6, none of the nine members considered the impractical nature of the recommendations, giving California’s budget constraints. Some Task Force members wanted the government to make good on Gen. William T. Sherman’s Jan. 16, 1865 promise in Special Field Order 15 for “forty acres and a mule” for every freed slave. At today’s prices there’s no calculating the price of “40 acres and a mule” on today’s standards. Hedging on making cash payments to African American descendents of slaves disappointed Task Force members, hoping they could get at least $360,000 for each Black California resident that qualifies. Task Force members urged the state to create new agency to determine the exact payments made to African American state residents. Task Force members used housing, education, incarceration, health care and other factors to determine cash payments.
Task Force members said the long history of incarceration by the Black community entitles each family member to the loss of wages due to prolonged imprisonment. Task Force members concluded that systemic racism in the criminal justice disproportionately targeted African Americans, leading to lost wages from excessive incarceration in the state’s prison system. Task Force members concluded that education discrimination prevented Black California residents to getting the same education as Whites to make comparable incomes necessary to purchasing real estate and other lifestyle amenities. Discriminatory lending practices against African Americans cost them untold billions in wealth over generations, starting after emancipation in 1865 following the end to the Civil War. African American economic mobility was sacrificed by California State discriminatory practices.
Newsom’s statement that he would not support cash recommendations by the Slavery Reparations Task Force should come as no surprise. Whether or not the governor agrees the Task Force advice, the cost of reparations would entail over three times the amount of the total 224.1 billion state budget at $800 billion. What was the Task Force thinking when issuing recommendations that would bankrupt the state? Newom said he’s committed to making California a level playing field for all California residents but that’s not enough to the Task Force. Task Force seeks a repeal of Ward Connerly’s Nov. 5, 1996 Prop 2009 that eliminated affirmative action in California. Task Force members said today they want the California Dept. of Education to require critical race theory taught in K-12 Newsom found there’s no limit to what African Americans want in reparations.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’d editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
