The unexpected pair working together in fight for reparations in California

An unusual pair has joined forces in the fight for reparations in California: The Democratic leader of California’s Reparations Task Force and a Republican state lawmaker who has publicly stated he opposes taxpayer-funded reparations. But the fall-out from the collapse of two reparations-related proposals last year have brought together Task Force Chairwoman Kamilah Moore and Republican Corona Assemblyman Bill Essayli. Moore led the state’s historic task force that spent two years studying the negative impacts slavery had on society in California.The two sat down together for an exclusive interview with KCRA 3 on Thursday. Watch the full interview at the bottom of this story. Moore told KCRA 3 she is backing a proposal Essayli filed last week that establishes the California American Freedmen Agency. The agency is meant to serve as a starting point for the state’s reparations work by setting up genealogy services to determine and have on record who exactly is a descendant of enslaved African-Americans. “I stand in strong support,” Moore said of Essayli’s bill. “As former chairperson I’m going to support any piece of legislation from any legislator that speaks to the task force’s report.”The legislation is similar to a proposal former Democratic State Senator Steven...