San Francisco’s Black Community Turns on NAACP President Who Criticized Reparations Plan

The president of San Francisco’s NAACP chapter, Rev. Amos Brown, has received backlash from the black community after advising the city to reconsider the plan of paying $5 million in reparations per black resident. Brown suggested that such a lump-sum payment is unrealistic, stressing instead that the city should invest in education, housing, and health care.

Brown’s statement has led to calls from activists to strip him of his leadership role, with Bishop Talbert Swan of San Francisco’s NAACP chapter calling it “reprehensible” and a “betrayal to Black Americans.”

San Francisco is currently scrambling to deliver its eagerly-anticipated reparations with its most recent proposal costing each household around $600,000, worsening the budget shortfall of nearly $780 million. Brown has attempted to clarify his statement by reminding critics that the $5 million figure was arbitrary, stating that the city needs a more “practical” number for cash reparations.

Even the chair of the San Francisco panel is downplaying its draft recommendations, which include $5 million per person, 250 years of $97,000 annual subsidies for poor residents, universal debt clearance, free therapy, and more. Chair Eric McDonnell describes the plan as an “appraisal,” stating that it’s up to the city to determine what is feasible and to write a financial plan.

San Francisco and the state of California launched their reparations push in 2020 following the death of George Floyd, with the state panel weighing proposed cash payouts that could top $800 billion, nearly triple the state’s annual budget.