Activism
Advocates Demand Action on Reparations During Gov’s Special Legislative Session
During the special session and regular session, the group called for the re-introduction of reparations legislation that did not get a vote in the last legislative season, a distribution of the final California Reparations Task Force Report to schools and libraries, and the establishment of a defense fund to support implementation and legal defense of the reparations report and associated bills.
By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media
A coalition of reparations advocates are demanding that the California legislature, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Gov. Gavin Newsom act decisively on reparations bills that have stalled in the Legislature.
They are calling on the state leaders to pass the bills during the special legislative session the Governor called this month to secure up to $25 million for California “to defend against unconstitutional or unlawful federal government actions” expected during the incoming Trump administration.
The advocates want the push for reparations for Californians who are descendants of enslaved Black people in the United States to continue next year during the regular session, which begins when the Legislature convenes on Jan. 6, 2025.
“California has a proud history of leading difficult change in America from environmental policies to safety standards to same-sex marriages and the like,” said Tullus Miller, a Bay Area financial services executive.
Miller was speaking during an engagement held Dec. 2 on the grounds of the State Capitol with the California Native American Monument as the backdrop.
Los Angeles-based attorney Cheryce Cryer explained the purpose of the event. “I’m here today, to bring attention to the needs of Black Americans and the need for our legal and social protections as the special legislative session convenes.”
In addition to Miller and Cryer, other speakers at the event were Dr. Booker Cook, Ethnics Studies professor at the California State University, Sacramento (CSU-Sacramento) and Khansa “Friday” Jones Muhammad, Vice President of the Los Angeles Reparations Advisory Commission.
During the special session and regular session, the group called for the re-introduction of reparations legislation that did not get a vote in the last legislative season, a distribution of the final California Reparations Task Force Report to schools and libraries, and the establishment of a defense fund to support implementation and legal defense of the reparations report and associated bills.
“Today, that Freedmen’s Bureau (bill) needs to be re-established,” Cook said. “The work is done. The history is there, and the proof is there. There should be no more arguments and no more debates.”
Authored by former Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood), Senate Bill (SB) 1403 and SB 1330 stalled in the Assembly in September, triggering backlash from reparations supporters across the country.
Leadership of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) said they agreed not to support bringing forth Bradford’s bills due to procedural and funding concerns. However, the CLBC was able to secure $12 million in next year’s budget to continue work on reparations legislation.
“California has been leading the nation in reparations discussions,” Jones-Muhammad said. “The advocates in this space have spent five years doing the impossible and working with the Legislature to bring foundational reparations policies through the Senate and Assembly Appropriations.”
The CLBC starts the 2024-2025 legislative session with new leadership. Sen. Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) serves as the chairperson, while Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) is the vice chair.
For starters, Bryan introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 7 on Dec. 3, a new reparations bill that would provide priority admission for descendants of slaves at CSU and the University of California (UC) campuses.
“As the new Vice-Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus we will continue to fight for what is just,” Bryan stated on the X platform the same day.
