California has issued a formal apology for its involvement in slavery and the lasting effects it has had on Black residents, following the signing of a new law by Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday.
This legislation is part of a wider reparations package designed to address the racial inequalities African Americans have faced due to historical policies.
Governor Newsom, a Democrat, said, “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. Building on decades of work, California is now taking another important step forward in recognising the grave injustices of the past – and making amends for the harms caused”
The governor has also approved additional measures, including stronger protections against hair discrimination in sports and increased oversight of book bans within state prisons. However, despite these efforts, the idea of direct financial compensation to descendants of enslaved people remains unpopular.
California’s 1849 constitution said that slavery would not “be tolerated in this State,” yet it did not explicitly outlaw slavery or protect Black people’s freedom, leaving legal grey areas that allowed slavery to continue. In 1852, California passed a fugitive slave law, allowing the arrest of escaped slaves and their return to the South.
The state budget, approved in June, allocates up to $12 million for reparations-related legislation. Governor Newsom has also signed laws aimed at improving educational outcomes for students of colour in K-12 career education programmes.
In addition, a proposal to ban forced labour as punishment for crimes will be on the ballot in November, with support from the Black Caucus.
State Assembly Member Isaac Bryan, who introduced a bill to increase oversight of banned books in state prisons, called the new law “a first step” in bringing transparency to the Department of Corrections’ process for banning books.
Bryan said, “We need transparency in this process. We need to know what books are banned, and we need a mechanism for removing books off that list,” as reported by The Guardian.
(With inputs from agencies)
