What’s Happening With San Francisco’s Reparations Plan?

Carrie Carter, right, waits for the start of a rally in support of reparations for African Americans outside City Hall in San Francisco, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. City supervisors will hear from the public Tuesday on draft reparations proposals, including a $5 million lump-sum payment to every eligible Black adult and guaranteed annual incomes of at least $97,000.

San Francisco’s reparations plan has been the source of massive buzz and controversy. In March, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a draft plan that included $5 million in direct payments to qualifying Black San Franciscans as well as dozens of other proposals. Months later, the comprehensive draft proposal still appears to be in limbo. This begs the question: Will any of this plan ever go through?

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On Tuesday, over 200 hundred protesters gathered outside of City Hall demanding movement on reparations. African American Reparations Advisory Committee Vice-Chair Reverend Amos C. Brown told the crowd that the “bill is due!”

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors was expected to vote on the proposal, but (spoiler alert) no votes were cast on Tuesday. Instead, the Reparations Committee provided an update on their plans.

Chair of the African American Reparations Advisory Committee, Eric McDonnell, re-iterated the draft proposal, which includes cash payments, housing assistance, educational investments, and the creation of an HBCU.

McDonnell noted that the vast income disparity between Black and white residents highlighted the need for reparations. According to 2016 to 2020 U.S. Census data analyzed by the San Francisco Chronicle, the median household income for Black San Franciscans was $39,000 a year, compared to 151,000 for white households.

Despite these disparities, direct cash payments don’t appear to be coming anytime soon. A University of California, Berkeley poll found that Californians overwhelmingly reject the concept of cash reparations. Black Californians were the only group to support direct cash payments. San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who is Black, has continued to reject the idea of reparations coming from the city, insisting that reparations need to come from the federal government.

At the meeting on Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors focused on implementing less “controversial” aspects of the plan, such as providing assistance to Black entrepreneurs. However, for now, no votes have been cast on this sprawling proposal.