California reparations task force report estimates $1.2M per Black resident

May 05, 2023

Karah Rucker Reporter/Producer

By Karah Rucker (Reporter/Producer), Stacey Chamberlain (Editor/Digital Producer)

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California’s proposal to pay Black residents potentially more than a million dollars each as a reparations payment faces a make-or-break moment over the weekend of May 6. The task force in charge of the state’s reparations research will vote on its final report that will then go to state lawmakers.

As the report currently stands, the task force, with the help of economists, has said the total cost could exceed $800 billion. For perspective, California’s annual budget is $297 billion.

The payments will be for Black residents who can trace their lineage back to family members who were bought, sold and owned as slaves.

As of the latest analysis, payments could be as high as $1.2 million per person. But that’s an early assessment and not a final proposal.

The task force has until July 1 to hand over the full report. On May 6, it will vote how much restitution it believes is due, then lawmakers will decide the fate from there.

Tags: California

KARAH RUCKER: CALIFORNIA’S PROPOSAL TO PAY BLACK RESIDENTS POTENTIALLY MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS A PIECE AS A REPARATIONS PAYMENT FACES A MAKE-OR-BREAK MOMENT THIS WEEKEND.

THE TASK FORCE IN CHARGE OF THE STATE’S REPARATIONS RESEARCH WILL VOTE ON ITS FINAL REPORT THAT WILL THEN GO TO STATE LAWMAKERS.

AS THE REPORT STANDS RIGHT NOW – THE TASK FORCE WITH THE HELP OF ECONOMISTS HAS SAID THE TOTAL COST COULD EXCEED $800 BILLION DOLLARS. FOR PERSPECTIVE — CALIFORNIA’S ANNUAL BUDGET IS 297 BILLION DOLLARS.

THE PAYMENTS WILL BE FOR BLACK RESIDENTS WHO CAN TRACE THEIR LINEAGE BACK TO FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WERE BOUGHT, SOLD, AND OWNED AS SLAVES.

AS OF THE LATEST ANALYSIS — PAYMENTS COULD BE AS HIGH AS 1.2 MILLION DOLLARS PER PERSON. BUT THAT’S AN EARLY ASSESSMENT AND NOT A FINAL PROPOSAL.

THE TASK FORCE HAS UNTIL JULY FIRST TO HAND OVER THEIR FULL REPORT —

THIS WEEKEND THEY WILL VOTE HOW MUCH RESTITUTION THEY BELIEVE IS DUE…THEN LAWMAKERS WILL DECIDE ITS FATE FROM THERE.