Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California refused to back the cash payments proposed by his reparations task force, which could go up to $1.2 million for each recipient, explaining to Fox News Digital that addressing the aftermath of slavery “is about much more than cash payments.”
“The Reparations Task Force’s independent findings and recommendations are a milestone in our bipartisan effort to advance justice and promote healing. This has been an important process, and we should continue to work as a nation to reconcile our original sin of slavery and understand how that history has shaped our country,” Newsom told the outlet in a statement.
While he praised the task force’s efforts, he did not give his support to any specific recommendations. However, he pledged to “advance systemic changes that ensure an inclusive and equitable future for all Californians.”
“Dealing with that legacy is about much more than cash payments. Many of the recommendations put forward by the Task Force are critical action items we’ve already been hard at work addressing: breaking down barriers to vote, bolstering resources to address hate, enacting sweeping law enforcement and justice reforms to build trust and safety, strengthening economic mobility — all while investing billions to root out disparities and improve equity in housing, education, healthcare, and well beyond. This work must continue,” Newsom continued.
“Following the Task Force’s submission of its final report this summer, I look forward to a continued partnership with the Legislature to advance systemic changes that ensure an inclusive and equitable future for all Californians,” he added.
The California Reparations Task Force has recommended that the state provide payments of up to $1.2 million to eligible black residents.
The task force approved the final set of recommendations at a public meeting held in Oakland on Saturday, and has called on the state’s legislators to issue a formal apology along with the payments. The nine-member panel made the proposal as part of an effort to address the historical injustices and economic disparities experienced by black Californians, though historically, the reparations movement in the U.S. has centered on the issue of slavery.
California was never a slave state.
“Reparations are not only morally justifiable, but they have the potential to address long-standing racial disparities and inequalities,” Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., claimed after attending the meeting, Fox News reported in a separate story on Sunday.
The recommendation proposes different payment amounts based on specific types of historical discrimination. For example, black residents who were affected by redlining by banks would receive up to $148,099, which amounts to $3,366 for each year they lived in California from the early 1930s to the late 1970s.
Conversely, black residents who have been allegedly been affected by over-policing and mass incarceration in California between 1970 and 2020 could be eligible for payments of around $2,352 for each year they lived in the state during that time period. The total amount of these payments could reach up to $115,260.
The New York Times analyzed the plan and found that a black Californian who has lived in the state their entire life and is 71 years old could receive up to $1.2 million from the various payments outlined, including those related to alleged discrimination such as redlining and over-policing.
“The panel’s Saturday vote included only recommendations for the state legislature and does not have any legal weight,” Fox News reported.
