The Observer reflects on the meaning of reparations and the work being done by leaders advocating for descendants of enslaved Blacks to be given compensation for the generational impact of racism.
Here is our collection of stories addressing this important issue:
“A Promise Kept”: California Establishes First-in-the-Nation Reparations Agency
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 518, creating California’s Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery, the first state agency in the nation dedicated to implementing reparations for Black Americans.
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Legislature Approves Five Black Caucus Reparations Bills, Sending Them to Newsom
By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Assembly Bill (AB) 62, authored by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (Inglewood), passed in the Assembly with a 66-4 vote on Sept. 9. It now advances to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for a signature or veto by Oct. 12. The measure — part of the California Legislative Black Caucus…
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This July 4, the Ultimate Act of Patriotism Is Calling for Reparations
By Richard E. Besser and Ryan P. Haygood | Word In Black (WIB) – In today’s fraught political climate, it may feel counterintuitive to ignite a call for reparations. At a time when many national leaders are conducting a far-reaching gaslighting experiment, attempting to erase America’s centuries-long embrace of slavery and its aftermath, reparations are often dismissed as…
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Maryland Governor Wes Moore and the Politics of Reparations
By Roger House | Word In Black (WIB) – Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, recently caused a stir in the state’s reparations movement. He vetoed a bill that would have assessed the harms of slavery and Jim Crow and proposed various remedies. The measure had been championed by the state legislature and the Legislative Black…
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Tulsa’s new Black mayor proposes $100M trust to ‘repair’ impact of 1921 Race Massacre
By Sean Murphy | The Associated Press TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Tulsa’s new mayor on Sunday proposed a $100 million private trust as part of a reparations plan to give descendants of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre scholarships and housing help in a city-backed bid to make amends for one of the worst racial attacks in U.S. history.…
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Why Evictions Make Black Women’s Health Worse
By Anissa Durham | Word In Black (WIB) – Legal or illegal, Black women are still the most likely to be evicted. And a new report found that Black women of reproductive age who have experienced eviction as adults or children reported poorer health outcomes. We wanted to know why. In a SECURE survey of more…
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These Four Bills Focus on Financial Compensation for Descendants of Enslaved People
California Black Media has provided updates on four bills in the California Legislative Black Caucus’s 2025 Road to Repair package, which aim to provide restitution for past injustices to Black Californians through housing assistance, fairer pay, and the establishment of a state agency charged with determining eligibility for reparations.
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California Legislative Black Caucus 2025 Legislative Package Includes Reparations Priorities
The California Legislative Black Caucus has released its 2025 legislative priorities, titled the “Road to Repair 2025,” which aims to address the generational harm caused by slavery and systemic discrimination against Black Californians, and proposes measures to promote equity, economic opportunity, and justice for Black communities.
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In Unexpected Move, Calif. Republican Lawmaker Bill Essayli Introduces Reparations Bill
A group of 20 grassroots organizations, including the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California, have announced their support for a non-partisan effort to advance reparations for American Freedmen residents, with Assemblyman Bill Essayli introducing a bill to create the California American Freedman Affairs Agency.
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Five things to watch as California’s Legislature returns to the Capitol in 2025
California lawmakers are gearing up for a new session, focusing on tackling affordability, resisting Trump, budget woes, and regulating tech giants, while also considering reparations for descendants of slaves and setting aside money for home purchase assistance programs.
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