California’s governor has resisted handing out recovery checks to black residents of his state, days after a task force recommended giving up to $1.2 million to those who met the criteria.
Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday that he believed there were better ways to address systemic inequality than handing out money.
The scheme, approved Saturday by the nine-member reparations task force, would cost the state about $800 billion — more than double the state’s annual budget.
Newsom said dealing with the legacy of slavery and discrimination is “much more than cash payments.”
He told Fox news in a statement on Tuesday, “Many of the Task Force’s recommendations are critical action points that we have already worked hard on: breaking down voting barriers, strengthening resources to tackle hate, implementing sweeping law enforcement and judicial reforms to build trust and security, enhance economic mobility – all while investing billions to eradicate inequality and improve equity in housing, education, healthcare and much more. This work must continue.’
California became the first state to create a reparations task force in September 2020 following national protests over the death of George Floyd, who was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
California governor Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday that he did not support the issuance of reparations checks
California’s reparations task force has approved a plan that could give black residents $1.2 million each in compensation for slavery and discrimination
The final report must be sent to lawmakers before July 1.
The amount these reparations would cost the state was not detailed in the report, but previous economists’ calculations predicted it could cost about $800 billion — more than twice California’s estimated annual budget of $300 billion.
The report suggests that the amounts, based on what was lost to specific forms of racial discrimination, should be reimbursed to black residents.
This includes $2,352 lost per person per year for overpolicing and mass incarceration of black communities and $3,366 per person per year of residence between 1933 and 1977 for “discriminatory lending and zoning.”
It also includes $13,619 per person per year of residence in California for “health injustices and discrimination” and $77,000 per person for black-owned business losses and devaluations.
This means that a lifetime black resident of California aged at least 71 can receive more than $1.2 million in compensation.
Newsom said Tuesday, “Following the submission of the Task Force’s final report this summer, I look forward to continuing to work with the legislature to implement systemic changes that ensure an inclusive and equitable future for all Californians.”
But the 100 residents and activists who gathered at the meeting were not impressed by the calculations in the draft report.
Reverend Tony Pierce, CEO of the Oakland-based Black Wall Street organization, expressed frustration, pointing to the country’s “broken promise” to offer 40 acres and a mule to newly freed slaves.
He said, ‘You know the numbers should be questionable for what an acre was back then. We got 40, okay? We got 40 acres.
“You know what that number is. You keep trying to talk about the now, but you research back into slavery and you don’t say anything about slavery, nothing.
“So the ambiguous number from the 1860s for 40 acres to today is $200 million for every African American.”
He then lashed out at the panel for not being ambitious enough with the recovery plan.
“Don’t be afraid,” he added.
“You should just tell the truth. You are not supposed to be the gatekeepers. You should say what the people want and hear from the people.’
Residents, including Reverend Tony Pierce, CEO of the Oakland-based Black Wall Street movement, say it’s “not nearly enough” and demand $200 million per person
Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (left), who sits on the panel, said the recommendation of a letter of apology from the state of California is one of the most important. State Senator Steven Bradford is pictured at right
One woman said, “$1.2 million is nowhere near enough. It should start at least $5 million like San Francisco.
“We want instant cash payments, just like the stimulus [checks] were broadcast. It’s our legacy and we can handle it.”
And another resident added, “This million dollars that we hear on the news is just inadequate and a further injustice if that is what this task force is going to recommend to black Americans for over 400 years and the continuation of slavery and injustice that we have had to endure.
“To throw even a million dollars at us is just unfair.”
And Elaine Brown, former chairman of the Black Panther Party, urged people to express their frustrations through demonstrations.
The report stressed that the numbers are estimates only and lawmakers would need to conduct additional research to work out the details.
Panelists in the report recommended direct payments for those who qualify.
The first deposit is the beginning of a process to address historic injustices, not the end.
The reparations task force has also asked that those eligible receive cash “down payments” once recommendations become law, while they wait for compensation to be calculated.
The task force, made up of elected officials, academics and lawyers, made a decision last year on the eligibility criteria.
It stipulated that any descendant of enslaved African Americans or of a “free black person who lived in the United States before the late 1800s” should be entitled to reparations.
If legislation is passed for the payments, the committee suggested creating a state agency to process claims and make payments, prioritizing older black residents.
About 1.8 million people in California identify as Black or African American.