California apologizes for role in perpetuating slavery amid push for reparations

Debate over reparations in U.S. Debate over reparations continues in U.S. communities 06:34 California has formally apologized for its role in perpetuating slavery in the state with the signing of a bill Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, even as a larger push for reparations faces challenges. The governor was joined by members of the California Legislative Black Caucus for a signing ceremony at the Capitol Thursday. AB 3089, authored by Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), acknowledges the state’s complicity in the human chattel slavery of the nation’s past and its legacy of ongoing harm on generations of Black Californians.  The bill passed with unanimous bipartisan support in the legislature. California joins a handful of other states that have issued formal apologies for slavery. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is joined by members of the California Legislative Black Caucus during a bill-signing ceremony, Sept. 26, 2024.  State of California/Governor Gavin Newsom “The State of California accepts responsibility for the role we played in promoting, facilitating, and permitting the institution of slavery, as well as its enduring legacy of persistent racial disparities,” said Newsom in a prepared statement. “Building on decades of work, California is now taking another important step forward in recognizing...