Watch the full Bill Presentation by clicking the link below, it begins at 3:55
https://www.assembly.ca.gov/media/4202-video
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Sacramento- The Assembly Judiciary Committee passed legislation today that would establish a commission to consider reparations for African American Californians who continue to experience the negative effects of Black slavery and oppressive laws and institutions after emancipation.
AB 3121, authored by Assemblymember Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. (D-San Diego), would establish an eight-member panel to consider how California enabled chattel slavery within its borders. The task force would also explore how Black Californians could be provided the means to overcome the persistent effects of laws and practices intended to undermine their full participation in California’s economic and political life.
“While California was nominally a ‘free state,’ but in practice we allowed slavery within our borders even after statehood, while runaway slaves were often denied sanctuary by the courts,” Weber said. “After emancipation, California and local municipalities allowed or even actively pursued discriminatory practices akin to those found in the South to deny former slaves and their descendants access to housing, quality education, employment, fair wages, voting rights and the practice of professions.”
“Income and wealth inequality have roots in slavery and have been codified time and again with anti-black policy decisions,” said Isaac Bryan, Executive Director of UCLA’s Black Policy Project at the Bunche Center for African American Studies. “The visible representation of those collective failures can be seen right outside on our streets. Over 40% of the bodies forced to live in abject destitute on our streets are Black bodies. This is not a coincidence. It is not an accident. And, it does not have to be this way. “
The bill now moves to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations for consideration in the next few weeks.
