Staff Reports
A committee in California that looked into reparations proposed that African-Americans who were descendants of slaves could receive up to $223,200 in housing discrimination payments during the 20th century.
The nine-member task force, which was headed by Gavin Newsom, estimated that it would cost around $569 billion to provide financial assistance to the 2.5 million African-Americans who were affected by housing discrimination from 1933 to 1977. The committee has until June 2023 to make a final recommendation.
According to Jovan Scott Lewis, a member of the task force, the amount of reparations that would be offered to African-Americans is the largest since the Reconstruction era.
After conducting several meetings with African-Americans in California, the committee came up with its estimates. One example was the city of Russell City, which was a place where African-American families were able to live and escape from their oppression in the South. Unfortunately, the residents were forced out of the area when it was demolished in the 1960s.
The task force also released a 500-page report earlier this year that discussed the various areas where African-Americans could receive compensation. These include unjust property seizures, mass incarceration, and devaluation of black businesses.
Some members of the task force suggested that the money be given in cash, while others suggested housing grants and education grants. The committee also met with historians to talk about the past practice of compensating African-Americans with reparations, such as those paid after the Second World War.
The task force will continue to discuss the various aspects of the reparations during its next meeting, which will take place later this month. Before the recommendations are made to the state legislature, the bill needs approval.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Washington Examiner.
