California To Consider Slavery Reparations After Landmark Law Passed

Gavin Newsom

California Governor Signs Law To Create Task Force That Considers Reparations For Slavery

Thanks to a new law signed by California governor Gavin Newsom, the Golden State is the first to create a law that considers reparations for slavery.

According to reports, Gavin Newsom signed the bill, AB 3121, which develops a task force of nine people that teaches state residents about slavery and evaluates methods California could pay reparations.

Gavin Newsom said in a press release:

“As a nation, we can only truly thrive when every one of us has the opportunity to thrive. Our painful history of slavery has evolved into structural racism and bias built into and permeating throughout our democratic and economic institutions.”

The law currently doesn’t commit to any form of payment.

It’s not clear if any states will adopt a similar law, but Atlanta native and rapper T.I. has been vocal about descendants of slaves being owed reparations. He said back in July that every Black American should get $1 million in reparations.

Part 1. T.I. Wants Reparations: Every Black Person Should Get 1 Million Dollars! pic.twitter.com/FbOPyJmYcn

— theJasmineBRAND (@thejasminebrand) July 14, 2020

A month before, BET founder Robert Johnson also called for $14 trillion in reparations.

“Is $14 trillion too much to ask for the atonement of 200 plus years of brutal slavery, de facto and de jure government-sponsored social and economic discrimination and the permanent emotional trauma inflicted upon black Americans by being forced to believe in a hypocritical and unfulfilled pledge that ‘all men are created equal’?”