Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law in California that will include a formal apology for slavery and its lasting effects on Black Americans in the state.
This legislation is part of a set of reparations bills aimed at addressing historical racial disparities faced by African Americans in the state.
The big picture: The reparations bills signed by Governor Newsom also included measures to improve protections against hair discrimination for athletes and increase oversight over the banning of books in state prisons.
- However, he vetoed a proposal that would have helped Black families reclaim or receive compensation for property unjustly seized by the government. Newsom said when he vetoed that proposal that state lawmakers had not created a reparations agency to review claims, meaning the bill would not even have been able to take full effect.
Driving the news: Efforts to study reparations at the federal level have faced obstacles in Congress, leading some states like Illinois and New York to establish reparations commissions. Local initiatives in cities like Boston and New York City are also studying reparations, while Evanston, Illinois, launched housing assistance programs for Black residents to address past discrimination.
- California has progressed further than other states in addressing reparations, with Governor Newsom approving a significant budget that included provisions for reparations legislation. This includes initiatives focused on improving outcomes for students of color in career education programs.
What they’re saying: “The State of California accepts responsibility for the role we played in promoting, facilitating, and permitting the institution of slavery, as well as its enduring legacy of persistent racial disparities,” Newsom said in a statement. “Building on decades of work, California is now taking another important step forward in recognizing the grave injustices of the past – and making amends for the harms caused.”
