The Multi-Faith ACTION Coalition’s faith-rooted mission is to advocate for policy changes that would reduce or eliminate sources of poverty in California. Racial injustice is one of those sources, so we have been particularly supportive of and attentive to the work of the Reparations Task Force. This article is the fourth in a series about the Reparations Task Force.
Here is a summary of the policy actions recommended by The California Reparations Report for the State of California.
The California Reparations Report, in its 1,000+ pages, outlines numerous policy actions for the California Legislature to address the harms of slavery and discrimination against African Americans. These recommendations are based on international standards of reparations and aim to achieve restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, and non-repetition.
Recommendation Categories and Examples
Here are some key categories and examples of specific recommendations in the report:
Formal Apology and Acknowledgement:
- The report recommends a formal apology from the California Legislature for the state’s role in perpetuating harm against African Americans. The apology should acknowledge specific atrocities, express remorse, and include a request for forgiveness. It also recommends censuring state perpetrators and creating tributes to victims.
Creation of a Reparations Agency:
- The report recommends establishing the California American Freedman Affairs Agency to oversee the implementation of reparations. This agency would administer programs, assist with lineage tracing, and manage funds dedicated to reparations efforts.
Economic Reparations:
- Acknowledging the economic harms caused by discriminatory policies like redlining, the report proposes various forms of economic reparations, including:
- Housing: Provide direct financial assistance to increase homeownership among African Americans, particularly descendants of enslaved individuals. This assistance could come in the form of down payment grants, subsidized mortgages, and homeowner’s insurance. It also suggests exploring restitution for those displaced by racially motivated property takings, such as those displaced by eminent domain.
- Business: Create programs to support the formation and growth of Black-owned businesses. Such programs could provide access to capital, technical assistance, and contracting opportunities.
- Guaranteed Income: Explore implementing a guaranteed income program specifically for descendants of enslaved individuals.
Addressing Systemic Inequities:
- Recognizing that economic reparations alone are insufficient, the report offers policy recommendations across various sectors:
- Criminal Justice Reform: The report calls for significant reforms to the criminal justice system, including:
- Eliminating the death penalty
- Abolishing the Three Strikes sentencing law
- Mandating bias-free policing policies and training
- Closing ten state prisons and redirecting funds to the California American Freedman Affairs Agency
- Education: The report recommends measures to address disparities in education, including:
- Eliminating standardized testing for admissions to the University of California and California State University systems
- Increasing funding for need-based financial aid at colleges and universities
- Health: The report proposes actions to address health inequities, such as:
- Funding the California Health Equity and Racial Justice Fund to reduce and eliminate health disparities among African Americans
- Addressing anti-Black discrimination in healthcare through implicit bias training and stricter enforcement of anti-discrimination laws
Community Engagement:
- The report emphasizes the importance of community engagement in shaping reparations programs and policies. It calls for ongoing dialogue with affected communities to ensure their needs and perspectives are central to the reparations process.
Public Education:
- The report stresses the need for comprehensive public education about the history of slavery and its legacy of systemic racism in California. It recommends developing and implementing a school curriculum and funding public education initiatives.
The report emphasizes that these policy recommendations are a starting point in a long and continuous repair process. It stresses the need for ongoing vigilance and commitment from the state to address the enduring legacy of slavery and discrimination against African Americans.
Read the articles below or the Racial Justice Task Force page for further information.
