Opinion: California apologies, reparations would improve our state’s karma

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) Legislators in the California State Capitol have proposed two bills offering an apology for the state’s legacy of slavery and compensation to African Americans who lost property due to discriminatory policies. The California State Assembly recently announced a set of bills that would offer African American residents reparations. Since the publication of the Reparation Task Force’s report last June, several Assembly members have proposed bills that would offer an apology and provide compensation to African Americans who lost property due to discriminatory policies. Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer’s bill (AB 3089) would offer an apology for the state’s legacy of slavery and discrimination, while state Sen. Steven Bradford’s proposed SB 1050 would provide compensation to African Americans who lost property due to discriminatory policies. These bills offer our state an important opportunity to rectify past injustices and combat existing discrimination. They also provide our community a chance to heal and set an example for the rest of our nation. Although Californians remain divided on what reparations should look like, there is evidence that redress helps to address systemic racism. Perhaps the best example of this is the redress provided to Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated during World War...