California Reparations Funds In Limbo Amid Legislative Stalemate

By Robert J. Hansen | OBSERVER Staff WriterCalifornia planned to allocate $12 million for reparations legislation when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the budget in July, marking a significant step toward supporting the state’s descendants of enslaved people.In a letter to the governor’s office obtained by The OBSERVER, the California Legislative Black Caucus requested $6 million be designated for the passage of Senate Bill 1403, which aimed to establish the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency. The remaining $6 million was requested for the California Black Freedom Fund, a five-year, $100 million initiative focused on building Black power and ensuring that movement-based organizations receive sustained investments to combat systemic racism. The fund also works to educate the public about reparations.SB 1403 was one of two bills that stalled at the end of the legislative session last month, angering advocates such as the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California.With the Freedmen Affairs Agency yet to be established, questions have arisen about the status of the $12 million.At a town hall meeting at Florin Square on Sept. 13, CJEC lead organizer Chris Lodgson and about 35 attendees heard from Marc Philpart, president of the Black Freedom Fund, who said the fund would not...