The Observer reflects on the meaning of reparations and the work being done by leaders advocating for descendants of enslaved Blacks to be given compensation for the generational impact of racism.
Here is our collection of stories addressing this important issue:
2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Black Caucus Chair Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson
Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson, the first African American south of Los Angeles County to be elected to the California State Senate, is committed to securing compensation for the descendants of enslaved people in California and advancing legislation to protect democracy and address health disparities.
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Reparations Rift: Advocates Take Aim at Black Caucus After Gov. Newsom Vetoes Bills
By Antonio Ray Harvey Over the last two legislative sessions, Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed 11 of 30 reparations-focused bills authored by members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC). However, last month, the governor vetoed five key bills among 16 other reparation-focused bills in the CLBC’s “Road to Repair” that CLBC members introduced in…
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California to launch ‘historic’ reparations office as advocates regroup from 5 Newsom vetoes
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed and vetoed a slate of reparations measures, including the creation of the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery, while also vetoing five other measures backed by the California Legislative Black Caucus, citing fiscal challenges and legal risks.
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“A Promise Kept”: California Establishes First-in-the-Nation Reparations Agency
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 518, creating California’s Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery, the first state agency in the nation dedicated to implementing reparations for Black Americans.
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Legislature Approves Five Black Caucus Reparations Bills, Sending Them to Newsom
By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Assembly Bill (AB) 62, authored by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (Inglewood), passed in the Assembly with a 66-4 vote on Sept. 9. It now advances to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for a signature or veto by Oct. 12. The measure — part of the California Legislative Black Caucus…
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“California Must Lead With Courage” — NAACP Urges Legislature to Pass Stalling Reparations Bills
The NAACP CA/HI State Conference is urging the California Legislature to pass two reparations bills, SB 518 and SB 437, which would establish an agency to implement state-level reparations and authorize California State University to use genealogical records to determine eligibility for initiatives benefiting descendants of enslaved persons.
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Key Black Caucus “Road to Repair” Bills Await Their Fate in the State Legislature
The California Legislative Black Caucus is pushing for the passage of the 16-bill Road to Repair 2025 Priority Bill Package, which aims to address historical injustices and systemic barriers facing Black Californians, before the end of the legislative session in two weeks.
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This July 4, the Ultimate Act of Patriotism Is Calling for Reparations
By Richard E. Besser and Ryan P. Haygood | Word In Black (WIB) – In today’s fraught political climate, it may feel counterintuitive to ignite a call for reparations. At a time when many national leaders are conducting a far-reaching gaslighting experiment, attempting to erase America’s centuries-long embrace of slavery and its aftermath, reparations are often dismissed as…
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Maryland Governor Wes Moore and the Politics of Reparations
By Roger House | Word In Black (WIB) – Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, recently caused a stir in the state’s reparations movement. He vetoed a bill that would have assessed the harms of slavery and Jim Crow and proposed various remedies. The measure had been championed by the state legislature and the Legislative Black…
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Tulsa’s new Black mayor proposes $100M trust to ‘repair’ impact of 1921 Race Massacre
By Sean Murphy | The Associated Press TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Tulsa’s new mayor on Sunday proposed a $100 million private trust as part of a reparations plan to give descendants of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre scholarships and housing help in a city-backed bid to make amends for one of the worst racial attacks in U.S. history.…
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