Why Reparations Matter for Black Californians

As they wait to see whether several foundational bills and a constitutional amendment related to slavery reparations become state law, Californians are getting a sense of what a key voter group thinks of the issue. A largest-of-its-kind survey conducted by the California Black Power Network (CBPN), L. Norwood & Associates, and Catalyst California shows that reparations, as a political issue, drive voting decisions among Black voters. 

Catalyst California collaborated with CBPN and L. Norwood & Associates to validate the results of Building Brighter Futures: Interests and Priorities of Black Californians, which polled nearly 1,300 voters on their opinions, priorities and voting motivations regarding reparations. The results showed that: 

• More than 94 percent of Black California voters support reparations, and this support tracks across political parties 
• Nearly 90 percent said the issue would drive them to the polls if it was on the ballot 
• Just over 84 percent tied their support of a candidate to that candidate’s prospective stance on reparations 

“Healing through reparations ultimately benefits the entire society,” said Dr. Cheryl Grills, director of the Psychology Applied Research Center at Loyola Marymount University. “Reparations is a fight for the very humanity of California and this country. It reveals something about who we are: do we, as a society, care enough about our collective existence that we are willing to invest in repairing harm for those who are among us who were harmed?” 

Reparations Already a Spirited Discussion 

Reparations have gained new visibility in California since the Legislature passed AB 3121 in September 2020, setting up the California Reparations Task Force, of which Dr. Grills was a member. 

Conversations arose about who should qualify and what form reparations should take. And this was not just a state-level discussion. Local governments also began to wrestle with reparations.   

In June 2022, Marcus and Derrick Bruce became the first Black Californians to receive tangible reparations, in the form of two parcels of oceanfront property, known as Bruce’s Beach, that the city of Manhattan Beach had taken from their grandparents through eminent domain a century ago. The Los Angeles County supervisors voted to return the land to them, and five months later, the Bruces sold the land back to the county for $20 million. Supervisor Holly Mitchell, who also wrote the foreword for the CBPN survey, authored the original motion. 

Last July, supervisors in San Francisco created an African American Reparations Advisory Committee, that submitted more than 100 recommendations, including an official apology, large lump-sum payments to residents, and the establishment of a reparations office. Although the apology became official in February, other initiatives have stalled amid funding cuts. 

In June 2023, the California Reparations Task Force released its report containing a wide range of reparations recommendations, the first in the nation. The task force defined those eligible for reparations as Black people who descend from a chattel enslaved person or a free Black person living in the United States before the end of 19th century. And it did not limit the definition of reparations to compensation – a key point for CBPN and for Catalyst California. 

Last November, CBPN and the Equal Justice Society established the Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation and Truth (ARRT) in collaboration with the Black Equity Collective, Catalyst California, Live Free USA, State Sen. Steven Bradford, Asm. Reginald Jones-Sawyer, and former members of the task force: Dr. Grills, Dr. Jovan Scott Lewis, and attorneys Donald Tamaki and Lisa Holder. The ARRT educates the public about reparations and the report’s recommendations, to build broad-based support and grow the base of multi-racial, multi-sector allies. 

“All of our partners have really been doing reparative work, whether it’s around housing, education, criminal justice,” Kevin Cosney, co-founder and Associate Director at CBPN, said. “All of that work has been reparative and working to overcome harms that have been done, disparities that have been centuries in the making.” 

And on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Reparations Advisory Commission released an executive summary of its own report, An Examination of African American Experiences in Los Angeles, which should guide a future reparations program for the city.  

How the Survey Advances Reparations 

Investigating what voters think about reparations – particularly those voters most affected by the generational damage of slavery and its successor institutions – is hugely important in convincing all Californians of their value. Voters can move elected officials, and elected officials can make policies real. 

“We know that 2024 is a significant and historic election year,” said Lanae Norwood, whose firm administered the survey, adding that policy makers and candidates can take their cue from Black voters’ interest in reparations, especially from how it motivates their voting decisions. 

The results were decisive, and the size of the survey, which was administered from October 2023 to March 2024, made them even more significant. 

“We looked at other related surveys [of Black Californians’ political views] and this had four or five times as many respondents,” said Chris Ringewald, Senior Director for Research and Data Analysis at Catalyst California. “So, it’s a really robust survey with a relatively low margin of error, generally around three percent.” 

He noted that respondents’ age averaged 55, higher than in other surveys, but that also made them more likely to vote.  

What Comes Next 

We believe reparations for Black Californians should be effective, transformative, long-lasting, and comprehensive, in accordance with the United Nations’ principles of restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition—the framework the task force used in its report.  

Ten active reparations bills are making their way through the legislative process. Governor Newsom has until September 30 to sign or veto them. If any of them become law, they will constitute a historic beginning of restitution to Black Californians for centuries of damage that continues today. 

And there is another important measure: an amendment passed by the Legislature that removes language from the California Constitution letting jails and prisons impose involuntary servitude to punish crime. Proposition 6 will be on the ballot for the 2024 elections. Catalyst California and ARRT have endorsed it.  

“We know that as goes California, so goes the rest of the country,” Cosney said. “We are at a historic moment where we can set the tone for what repair looks like. We can set the tone for what justice looks like.”