California Reparations Panel Approves Millions in Payments and State Apology for Black Americans

The California Reparations Task Force has approved economic models for calculating reparations that could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars owed to eligible Black residents to address past racial inequities. The task force has examined the history of slavery and racism in the state and developed detailed plans for how the state can begin to undo certain types of racial harm, such as housing discrimination, mass incarceration, devaluation of Black-owned businesses, the unjust taking of property, and unequal access to health care. The recommendations include policy changes and financial payouts. The task force’s final report and documents, numbering thousands of pages, don’t contain an overall price tag for reparations.