In Unexpected Move, Calif. Republican Lawmaker Bill Essayli Introduces Reparations Bill

Last month, about 100 reparations advocates met at the State Capitol to build support for bills they backed that didn’t make it to the Assembly floor for votes during the last legislative session.During the day-long event — titled Reparations Education and Advocacy Day (R.E.A.D) — members of 20 grassroots organizations announced that they were willing to work with any lawmaker, Republican or Democrat, who would help to advance their cause.Last week, the advocates found support in an unlikely campaigner: Bill Essayli (R-Corona), a Republican lawmaker, who just last year stated he does not support using taxpayer money to pay for reparations.In a Feb. 21 press release, the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California (CJEC) stated that the “movement to recognize and support American Freedmen residents is a non-partisan effort” that prioritizes sound “policy over political affiliation.”CJEC is the statewide organization at the forefront of mobilizing grassroots efforts for reparations and reparative Justice for “Freedmen,” a term used to describe Black Americans who are descendants of slaves in the United States.“Over the coming days and weeks, additional provisions will be added to further honor the state’s responsibility to serve and develop policies for American Freedmen residents directly, such as in...