What’s next for reparations in California?

By Wendy Fry California Legislative Black Caucus members, from left, Assemblymember Corey Jackson, State Sen. Steven Bradford and Assemblymember Mike Gipson answer questions during the State of Black California Tour at Crawford High School in San Diego on June 15, 2024. Photo by Kristian Carreon for CalMatters (CALMATTERS) – The California Legislative Black Caucus is hitting the road on a statewide tour to promote its slate of 14 reparations bills, while the clock is ticking on getting those proposed laws to the governor’s desk before the legislative session ends Aug. 31. Last weekend, the campaign kicked off in San Diego. CalMatters’ Neil Chase, Denise Amos, Deborah Brennan, and I all got to attend the event at Crawford High School. Deborah wrote a news report about a town-hall style discussion of the measures. There’s also a video of presentations made at the event, including those of Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber, Assemblymembers Akilah Weber, Corey Jackson, Mike Gipson, and State Sen. Steven Bradford. The legislators encouraged community members to read a 1,000-page report that outlines the reasons for reparations and gives more than 100 recommendations to make them happen. California became the first state in the nation to form a...