Reckoning with reparations: What some Black Californians want
Many Black Californians believe that the government is long overdue in repairing the harms that kept them and their decedents from living without fear of being wrongfully prosecuted, retaining property and building wealth.
BERKELEY, Calif. – The majority of California voters oppose cash reparations payments to Black residents, according to a recent poll.
The University of California, Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) found that 59% of the surveyed voters disagree with the recommendation by the state’s Reparations Task Force Committee to provide cash payments to Black residents who are descendants of slaves. In contrast, 28% support this idea.
In 2020, California established the first-in-the-nation reparations task force at the direction of Gov. Gavin Newsom. Its purpose was to calculate the costs of slavery and generational racism and offer recommendations for how the state can address the historical mistreatment of Black Californians.
On July 1, the task force submitted its final report to the Legislature. The implementation of payments and other policy changes will require lawmakers to pass relevant legislation.
The IGS poll also revealed that 60% of California voters believe that the legacy of slavery still impacts the status of Black residents today. Nevertheless, there remains considerable debate on the specific reparations programs to be implemented.