California Gov. Gavin Newsom is holding off on making any commitments about reparations for Black residents, at least for now.
CNN reported that a task force looking at mitigating injustices and discrimination stemming from slavery shared recommendations on Saturday, laying out restitution proposals that could cost billions of dollars to remedy historical inequalities in housing, policing and healthcare.
While Newsom, a Democrat, acknowledged that the recommendations are “a milestone in our bipartisan effort to advance justice and promote healing,” he is waiting for the task force to complete its process and submit a final report before sharing additional details about the degree of his support.
“Dealing with the legacy of slavery is about much more than cash payments,” Newsom said in a statement, according to CNN.
Possible estimates of the recommended reparations for the more than 2.5 million Black Californians include $115,260 or $2,352 per year of residency throughout the 49 years between 1971 and 2020 for mass imprisonment and overpolicing. The recommendations also would allocate $13,619 for each year of residency for healthcare inequities, based on a 71-year life expectancy, and $3,366 for each year of tenancy between 1933 and 1977 for housing discrimination.
Since the 2020 police killing of George Floyd reignited the Black Lives Matter movement, initiatives to atone for harms stemming from slavery and rectify the racial wealth gap have gained traction in California and beyond, despite congressional stalling at the federal level.
In 2021, Newsom signed a bill creating the nine-member task committee and promised to work with the Legislature to pursue fundamental improvements to create an inclusive and fair future for all Californians.
The task force also recommended establishing a state office to handle claims for restitution, “identify and mitigate the ways that current and previous policies have damaged and destabilized Black families,” restore historical sites, promote education and provide free legal aid.
Newsom said many of the suggestions are “critical action items” his administration already has been working on, such as removing obstacles to voting, increasing resources to address hate, implementing extensive justice and law enforcement reforms to increase trust and safety, and promoting economic mobility. He added that the state was taking those steps “while investing billions to root out disparities and improve equity in housing, education, healthcare, and beyond,” according to CNN.
The California task force’s recommendations will be delivered to the state Legislature by July 1 after being presented at the panel’s upcoming meeting.
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