The California Legislative Black Caucus rolled out proposals to advance racial equity amid federal attacks on racial preference programs.
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.A group of Black lawmakers in the state Legislature is pushing ahead with proposals to prioritize the descendants of enslaved people for college admissions and homebuyer assistance, despite attacks from theA suite of proposals unveiled Thursday stems from a 2022 report detailing harms inflicted on Black Californians by the state government dating to the 19th century, including laws passed by the state Legislature to aid enslavers.
The Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsomfor the state’s role in advancing enslavement last year, but other reparations bills were rejected by the governor and voters. “Even outside of the current administration, these things are always a challenging conversation, especially with the fact that many people say, ‘Well there was no slavery in California. I didn’t participate, I didn’t own slaves,’” said Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson , the chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. “I think having this current administration makes it a little bit more challenging, but this bill package and the entire conversation about repairing harm is not about assigning anyone personal blame for the past,” Weber added. “It’s about righting the wrongs that still hinder the Black community today.”victims of racially motivated eminent domain receive compensation, and Senate Bill 437, legislation tasking the California State University system with developing a methodology to verify descendants of enslaved people. Another bill, Assembly Constitutional Amendment 6, would place a question on the 2026 ballot asking voters to remove language from the state constitution allowing involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime, an idea The lawmakers did not include proposals for direct monetary reparations in their bill package. The idea of cash payments for Black Californians or descendants of the enslaved would be controversial, but even morelast year. Proposals to create a reparations-focused state agency and prioritize African Americans for occupational licenses failed to clear the Legislature. The new round of reparations-related bills will be considered as the Trump administration aims to crack down on public programs that promote racial preferences. A memo issued last week by the federal Department of Education gives schools across the country two weeks to end any practice that California law currently bars the consideration of race, sex or ethnicity in public education, contracting and employment. “The attacks coming from the federal government are not new for Black folks,” said Assemblymember Isaac Bryan , the CLBC’s vice chair. “We have lived through enslavement, emancipation, the Black Codes, Jim Crow, Civil Rights and the rolling back of civil rights — this has been our struggle in this country.“What the current administration is doing, though, is making that struggle very clear for other folks who thought we had passed those days.” Your donation will power local paywall-free reporting for our community. Donate for the first time or increase your monthly donation to have a positive impact for independent and trusted journalism.A day with the Save the Tiles volunteers as they work against time to preserve over 200 fireplaces in Altadena.LA's top homelessness official signed $2.1 million contract with husband's employer Government documents show Va Lecia Adams Kellum, who leads an agency that manages over $700 million in homeless services contracts each year, inked deals with the nonprofit where her husband is a senior staffer.All of the proceeds from the sales, which were finalized before the fires, go into a new South Pasadena affordable housing fund.‘It was just a regular morning’: Californians picked up in recent ICE raids include kids, volunteersDuring the latest round of layoffs, the tiny team was among the hundreds let go. And though some parts of the educational program remain, educators across the country mourn what was lost.Fact check: What really happened with the Pacific Palisades hydrants?
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