By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media
A coalition of community leaders and reparations advocates are demanding that the California legislature, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Gov. Gavin Newsom act decisively on reparations bills that have stalled in the Legislature.
They are calling on the state leaders to pass the bills during the special legislative session the Governor called this month to secure up to $25 million for California “to defend against unconstitutional or unlawful federal government actions” expected during the incoming Trump administration.
The advocates are also urging that the push for reparations for Californians who are descendants of enslaved Black people in the United States continues next year during the regular session, which begins when the Legislature convenes on Jan. 6, 2025.
“California has a proud history of leading difficult change in America from environmental policies to safety standards to same-sex marriages and the like,” said Tullus Miller, a Bay Area financial services executive.
Miller was speaking during an engagement held Dec. 2 on the grounds of the State Capitol with the California Native American Monument as the backdrop. The California Native American Monument, erected in November 2023, is the only
Native American memorial at the California State Capitol.
“Our state is at the forefront of social and economic reforms. “We always set standards,” continued Miller, insisting that the state should not take its mind off reparative justice while it defends itself from other concerns.
Los Angeles-based attorney and reparations advocate Cheryce Cryer explained the purpose of the event.
“I’m here today, to bring attention to the needs of Black Americans and the need for our legal and social protections as the special legislative session convenes,” Cryer said.
In addition to Miller and Cryer, other speakers at the event were Dr. Booker Cook, Ethnics Studies professor at the California State University, Sacramento (CSU-Sacramento) and Khansa “Friday” Jones Muhammad, Vice President of the Los Angeles Reparations Advisory Commission.
The news conference coincided with the swearing-in of lawmakers who won races in the November election.
The leaders outlined a list of demands, including re-introducing two reparations bills that were not brought to the Assembly floor for a vote at the end of the last legislative session in August.
During the special session and regular session, the group called for the re-introduction of reparations legislation that did not get a vote in the last legislative season, a distribution of the final California Reparations Task Force Report to schools and libraries, and the establishment of a defense fund to support implementation and legal defense of the reparations report and associated bills.
“Today, that Freedmen’s Bureau (bill) needs to be re-established,” Cook said. “The work is done. The history is there, and the proof is there. There should be no more arguments and no more debates. Why would you build a house and not let anyone live there?”
Authored by former Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood), Senate Bill (SB) 1403 and SB 1330 stalled in the Assembly in September, triggering backlash from reparations supporters across the country.
Leadership of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) said they agreed not to support bringing forth Bradford’s bills due to procedural and funding concerns. However, the CLBC was able to secure $12 million in next year’s budget to continue work on reparations legislation.
SB 1403 proposes the establishment of the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency to recommend a course of action for compensating Black Californians who are descendants of enslaved people.
SB 1331 would have created the Fund for Reparations and Reparative Justice in the State Treasury to fund policies approved by the Legislature and Governor. Advocates of the bills believed that the two bills were essential to moving the reparations discussion forward for the first time since the end of slavery.
“California has been leading the nation in reparations discussions,” Jones-Muhammad said. “The advocates in this space have spent five years doing the impossible and working with the Legislature to bring foundational reparations policies through the Senate and Assembly Appropriations.”
The CLBC starts the 2024-2025 legislative session with new leadership. Sen. Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) serves as the chairperson, while Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) is the vice chair.
On Sept. 26, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a series of reparations bills by the CLBC addressing the legacy of racial discrimination in the state and prioritizing a number of issues important to Black Californians.
On Aug. 31, the CLBC released a statement explaining its reasoning for not moving forward with the bills and outlining its intentions for the future.
“We remain committed to our long-term goals and recognize that this is a multi-year effort,” the CLBC stated.
“We will not be distracted from our mission. We will stay focused on the work at hand, united in our purpose, and dedicated to the cause of reparations and equity for all. The CLBC will continue to lead with integrity and purpose, ensuring that our legislative efforts are impactful and meaningful for the communities we serve,” the statement concluded.
For starters, Bryan introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 7 on Dec. 3, a new reparations bill that would provide priority admission for descendants of slaves at CSU and the University of California (UC) campuses.
“As the new Vice-Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus we will continue to fight for what is just,” Bryan stated on the X platform the same day.
During the gathering at the California State Capitol, the reparations supporters said they were willing to work with both Democrat and Republican legislators to realize reparations for Black Californians.
They also offered to reach out to supporters, grassroots organizations, and lawmakers to broaden support for the passage and implementation of reparations bills in the state.