Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, the push for reparations gained widespread momentum. Governor Gavin Newsom then signed into law Assembly Bill 3121, creating a task force to study and combat historic and systemic racism. On January 31 of this year, the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) announced the 2024 Reparations Priority Bill Package. This was the first legislative action taken on the Reparations Task Force Report from last June, which proposed to the California Legislature various reparations to make up for slavery’s lasting effects on descendants of slaves.

While repairing the damage done by nearly 100 years of suffering would be ideal, critics disagree. When the University of Massachusetts polled 1,151 Americans about their opinions on reparations for slavery, close to two-thirds of Americans were against the idea. When asked why, they gave reasons such as “too expensive,” “too difficult,” or that descendants of slaves simply were “not deserving” of any kind of compensation. Although some points proposed by those against reparations could be valid claims, it can not be denied that society has hindered Black Americans from the beginning. In 1860, the body of slaves used for free labor was worth more than $3 billion. In other words, free labor from the enslaved is what built our economy. The descendants of these slaves still have yet to be recompensed; the least we could do is offer financial aid or even an apology for those confronting the detrimental effects of slavery.

Aside from direct descendants of slaves, many Black Americans are affected by slavery more than a century later. Take the wealth gap, for example: in 2022 there was an average difference of more than $24,000 between black and white households. The void between white and black in America has been apparent since the country’s inception. The people have battled inequality for what feels like an eternity, but they can only go so far; support from the government is crucial to closing the wealth gap. Applying this to reparations, the government needs to take action. 

With reparations now becoming a reality in California, it’s important to know what the proposed package entails. The 14 bills introduced by the CLBC focus on education, property rights, health insurance, and more. However, they do not include any type of cash payments. This sparked controversy within the black community; however, legislators assured them that there were more pressing matters to be dealt with first, and that payment would be part of the plan in the near future. In short, this multi-year plan is bent on tackling the liabilities African Americans experience as a result of slavery.

California is the first state to adopt reparations, but cities and even universities have also made strides toward justice. In 2019, Evanston, Illinois became the first city to pay reparations, and in 2022, Harvard University endowed $100 million for slavery reparations. With California setting an example for other states, we may see more and more reparation bills in the future. With each passing day, America continues to balance the scale of inequality, slowly but surely. 

This article was edited by Grace Hur.