Report on Chaos at California’s Black Reparations Public Hearing Sent to Legislature.

California’s Slavery Reparations Task Force Sends Final Report to Legislature

The slavery reparations task force in California has concluded its work by submitting its final report to the legislature. The last public hearing was marked by passionate advocates calling for a national “divorce” settlement for black Americans.

Recommendations for Remedies

The report from the California Department of Justice’s Reparations Task Force offers several remedies to address the country’s legacy of slavery.

Chaotic Last Meeting

The task force’s final meeting in Sacramento drew over 200 attendees, and during the public comment section, several individuals passionately voiced their demands.

“What do we want?” shouted one man.

“Reparations!” responded the crowd.

“When do we want them?” the man asked.

“Now!” echoed the crowd.

Among those who spoke was Reggie Romaine, a black man who called for a national “divorce” settlement between black Americans and the country.

“This reparations task force, I appreciate y’all. But you all opened up a whole can of worms. I’m going to tell you this. Reparations is about repair. To me, I qualify. I’m going to tell you how you repair this,” Romaine said.

“First of all, America, from the evidence that they gave us, you’re guilty,” he said. “In 1619 we were eating fool food! You kidnapped us! Put a hate crime on us! That’s the first one. Now you came here with all the other atrocities. When you brought us here, you raped our men, women, and kids. So, therefore, you married us!”

“Don’t treat us like no cheap piece of meat!” Romaine told the board. “So, therefore, our last name’s ‘American!’ So now’s the time for a divorce! What do you get in divorce? You get half the money, half the land, alimony, child support, attorney fees, and everything else! So that’s what we want!”

Reparations Task Force Recommendations

The task force’s report includes over 100 recommendations for “critically needed law and policy reforms.” These recommendations encompass a formal apology from California, the repeal of the state’s affirmative action ban, and the establishment of an agency to assess claims from descendants of slaves.

The report also suggests that monetary payments should be made to the descendants of African American slaves, with some individuals potentially receiving $1.2 million. While the report does not specify an exact dollar amount for every black Californian, it provides various examples.

• A 71-year-old black person who has lived in California their entire life would be entitled to $967,000 due to health discrimination.
• Black individuals who suffered due to aggressive policing and prosecution during the “war on drugs” from 1971 to 2020 and resided in California during that period would be entitled to $115,000.

It remains uncertain whether the legislature will adopt any of the task force’s recommendations, despite the Democratic supermajority and Governor Gavin Newsom’s support for the task force.

Newsom signed the law establishing the task force in 2020, amidst nationwide protests following George Floyd’s death in police custody in Minneapolis.

However, Newsom has refrained from commenting on specific reparations recommendations, including cash payments to black Americans.

“I am very mindful of our past,” he said on Thursday.

According to a 2021 Pew Research poll, only about 30% of Americans believe descendants of slaves should receive some form of repayment, while 77% of black Americans hold this view.

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