There’s interesting news coming out of California’s reparations panel – a first-in-the-nation push to provide payouts to the descendants of black people who were in the United States during the 19th Century.
In a surprise move during a vote on Tuesday, the panel moved to limit the provisions of state compensation. They also decided on granting eligibility for reparations to the descendants of all blacks present in the United States during the 19th Century, including those who were free and had no connection to the slave-holding South, KTVU reported.
The reason for this decision, according to the panel, was the difficulty of obtaining accurate genealogical records and determining slave ancestry.
BREAKING: California’s reparations task force officially decides who will be eligible for compensation:
Those who have lineage traced to a Chattel African American enslaved person or a Free black person living in the US prior to end of 19th century.
Task force approved it 5-3.
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) March 30, 2022
“We built this country by force,” declared one person during a Zoom session where members of the public were encouraged to call in to the task force. “We were promised 40 acres and a mule and we never got it. And we’re owed reparations because of that.”
The panel also rejected a rather generous proposal to include all black people as the potential beneficiaries of the state’s reparations plan—including those who immigrated to the country in the 20th and 21st Centuries and thus had no connection whatsoever to the nation’s slave-holding past.
“Providing reparations only to those who can prove their [descent] from enslaved Africans is yet another win for white supremacy as it dismisses and devalues the harms done to African descendants not enslaved,” another caller contended.
However, after a freewheeling and spirited debate, the committee decided in a 5-4 vote that compensation and restitution benefits should only be offered to recipients on the basis of direct lineage, rather than race. According to those on the panel who favored this position, it had the best chance of surviving legal challenges; moreover, those who immigrated to the country more recently did not experience the same trauma as those who were kidnapped and enslaved.
(Video: ABC 10)
It’s no wonder the panel’s debate became so heated since there’s a lot in the offing. Potential compensations may include free college, grants to churches and community organizations, as well as assistance in creating businesses, and even buying homes.
California, which fancies itself on the cutting edge of future political developments in the United States, is the only state in the Union to actually move forward with a reparations study. The state’s two-year reparations “task force” was established in 2020, when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation creating the panel and directing it to study slavery and its recurring societal harms, and to educate the public about these findings.
The question of eligibility is an important one for the task force since without that crucial definition it would prove difficult or impossible to outline a serviceable compensation plan. But armed with a consensus on eligibility, the task force can now move onto the more practical, economic aspect of its mission.
Critics of the task force contend that California has no obligation to provide reparations to the descendants of slaves, given that slavery was at no time legal in the state, and it never practiced segregation as in the southern states. Proponents, however, argue that the state has a long history of prejudice against blacks, including unfair wages and discriminatory housing practices.
The task force is required to prevent its report by June, with a finalized reparations proposal due by July of next year, containing legislative recommendations for California lawmakers.
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30 thoughts on “Calif. reparations task force establishes eligibility limits that exclude some black people”
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I still maintain that if reparations are to be made they should only be made to those who can prove direct ancestry from slaves. Reparations should only be paid by Democrats of any color since Republicans paid their reparations by the Civil War, ratifying the three Civil Rights amendments, and helping to get the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965 passed.
Blacks were never “promised” 40 acres and a mule. It was brought up for a vote by Republicans but the Democrats shot it down.
Actually the land was promised by General Sherman in Special Field Order 15 and approved by Lincoln. Later Sherman authorized the army to provide mules to help farms. And for a time it happened. “Baptist minister Ulysses L. Houston, one of the group that had met with Sherman, led 1,000 blacks to Skidaway Island, Ga., where they established a self-governing community with Houston as the “black governor.” And by June, “40,000 freedmen had been settled on 400,000 acres of ‘Sherman Land.’ But then Lincoln was murdered. “Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s successor and a sympathizer with the South, overturned the Order in the fall of 1865, and, as Barton Myers sadly concludes, “returned the land along the South Carolina, Georgia and Florida coasts to the planters who had originally owned it” — to the very people who had declared war on the United States of America.”
Everybody wants a handout, that somebody else has to pay for. Entitlement on steroids.
Next step will be for them to confiscate Veterans money to give to them for reparations.
This is BS. I had Irish ancestors that died trying to save the slaves. What about the Irish that were used as cannon fodder to eliminate slavery? What about the Irish and the Chinese that were used for hard labor for the railroads so the wealthy became railroad tycoons (slave labor)? Lincoln offered restitution for the slaves. Forty acres and a mule. It’s not America’s fault that many didn’t take it. They moved to the northern states to find jobs that may not have paid a lot, but they were probably tired of working the land. Compensation offered and rejected. And they weren’t kidnapped. They were the losing tribes in Africa. A warlord wanted their village, they fought, and the losing tribe was sold to the highest bidder while they were in AFRICA. Go sue them for reparations. By the way, most of these tribal members were sold to the Belgians, Dutch and English – both in Europe. Go sue them for reparations.
I think Oldboma should lead the victims reparations shakedown racket from behind and be the first to get a check. I know, I know. He’s not a resident of California but neither are millions of illegal aliens. Maybe give a little talk about all the fun they had when ACORN was doing their shakedowns.
So what about the blacks that owned slaves? They were the ones who sold them to this country in the first place. And many blacks owned slaves here, it wasn’t just whites. Blacks have already been given reparations in the form of welfare, housing, college etc etc.
The mob is strong in Kommiefornia . Kinda makes you want to pay more taxes ?
When are we going to give reparations to the families of the dead soldiers who fought to free the slaves?
They were all white supremacists. Haven’t you been paying attention? 😉
What are the “reparations” for? There was never any slavery or even any “Jim crow” laws. If any money is owed to those who were discriminated against in the 19th century in California, the Chinese are the only ones worthy of any reparations. Haven’t heard any mentions of compensating the Chinese, who lived in slave like conditions while building the railroads. Too many losers in California don’t even know their state’s history. Let’s go Brandon
Will white people in CA understand that they are being extorted to pay money to criminals and thugs? A lot of people in CA who are homeless are black. So not only are these scum destroying the cities of CA, the white people will be paying them money. And since no other state than CA will be doing this, more black scum will be coming from out of state to get paid off.
How about the families who’s sons brothers and husbands died to free southern slaves? Boy are these people dumb.
I have a 2nd cousin 4x removed who died at Cold Harbor in VA after serving 4 years with distinction.
Much can be learned about black holes simply by studying Sacramento, California. Evidence abounds that an entire state is being swallowed by “wokeness,” a gravitational force growing so strong that it will soon be impossible to escape. Every single object, whether it’s alive or inanimate, will be sucked in and pulverized until matter sublimes into nothingness. California… the nation’s Death Star.
Here an idea. Open a voluntary reparations fund, and see how many Californians support this nonsense.
Will illegal aliens be forced to pay this extortion?
Good point. They should have thought of this before they snuck into this sanctuary utopian state.
California was not a slave state and my family was not here until long after slavery was abolished. As much as I love California for it’s weather and beauty, I will leave the state rather than participate in this robbery.
Blacks, most not deserving, will get a sizable check from the taxpayer-it is not if, but just when. Will that be an end to all the never ending claims of racism in this country by the -Black hustlers, scammers like BLM, and the Victimization and Entitlement Industry run by people like Oprah, Barack Obama, AL Sharpton and all the rest- HELL NO! Not as long as there is 1 dollar to be made – they will keep acting like we live in 1822 rather than 2022.
California tax payers White, Asian, Chinese, Mexican etc….. Are you going to let Newsome pay blacks your money for something that never happened to the people getting it. One of the first slave owners was a black man that owned blacks. A little History goes a long way put it back in Schools. Not the NY Times 1619 Project of lies.
Bowing to the spoiled rotten class of people teaches nothing about life and the struggles all of US endure. Anyone who qualifies is just scamming with no real sense of accountability. They want reparations because they are lazy and free money will not improve their quality of life.
Get ready for another mass exodus from California. Too bad many of them will bring their woke ideas with them.
I thought the no bail, no jail, looting, smash and grab was reparations. Seems like the African warlords who captured and sold them into slavery are the ones who should be paying reparationns. How about reparations to families of Union soldiers who lost loved ones freeing the slaves. How many descendents of slaves are better off here than if they were still in Africa. Slavery still ongoing on in Africa.
That’s one of the most racist things this scumbag newScum has done,,,the blacks are getting mad the illegals are taking up the welfare,,,,I don’t even believe there were any slaves in Cali,,that’s how stupid this is,,,this was not voted on by Californians,,,,,🖕newScum,,,,,,FJB,,,,,
sympl1
Scaroo Cal.and their reparations and emission control sys. Let them pay for it if they want it. Just leave the rest of us out of it.
This is unfair to the millions of Americans who had no part of the slave trase but are being forced to pay millions of others who also played no part. Half of the people in California were not even born in this country, let alone owned American slaves a century and a half ago.
“We were promised 40 acres and a mule and we never got it. And we’re owed reparations because of that.”
WOW this person must be at least 150 years old since they were a slave. #FJB
Public assistance is a much better deal.