California’s first-of-its-kind Reparations Task Force is hitting some bumps in the road as their deadline for their recommendations to the government draws near.
The task force, created the California state legislature in September of 2020, is responsible for recommending “reparation proposals for African Americans,” according to the group's website. The recommendations are slated to be officially delivered to the California government on July 1, but recent meetings indicate that a consensus is still far off.
Government officials who originally championed the task force and its work appear increasingly unsure of its likelihood to succeed. Gov. Newsom said in a statement to Fox News Digital that “dealing with the legacy of slavery is about much more than cash payments,” leading some to believe that he will not support cash payments to Black Californians. A spokesperson for Newsom, in a statement to The Sacramento Bee, adjusted Newsom’s comments, saying he “looks forward to reviewing the final report — and all recommendations — when complete.”
Related: Cali Activists Demand $200 MILLION Per Black Person In 'Reparations'
State Sen. Steven Bradford (D), who is on the task force, has begun to urge Californians to adopt his “realistic” stance and dismiss the idea of large paychecks for each Black resident.
“That’s just not happening,” Bradford said, referring to seven-figure payments demanded by many activists.
While government payouts are being discussed by the task force, the amount of money still isn’t enough for some activists. At a task force meeting on May 6, Reverend Tony Pierce demanded that based on the “40 acres and a mule” promised to former slaves, every Black resident today should be receiving $200 million from the government.
The California annual state budget is currently at around $300 billion, with Newsom recently announcing a higher deficit than originally expected for this year. Meanwhile, economists commissioned by the task force estimated the current reparations proposals - which include cash payments, housing provisions, and multiple policy changes across everything from zoning and policing to health care and education - could cost more than $800 billion.
While the task force is currently planning recommendations of amounts for monetary payments, no one seems to know where that money will come from yet.
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