The California Legislative Black Caucus on Thursday proposed a package of compensation for the descendants of African-Americans enslaved in the United States, including preferences for public college admissions and financial assistance to first-time home buyers.
The package contains 15 bills, which core members say will be a years-long effort to fix the generational harm and discrimination suffered by the descendants of California slaves.
In 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom and California State Assemblymen were formed A “National First” State Task Force Research and propose remedies regarding slavery heritage. At the end of last year’s legislative session, reform advocates were frustrated by the legislature’s restrictions on tight national budgets and high-risk election years, Legislative Black Caucus passed only 10 of 14 bills with priority.
“We are leaving last year and we are picking up,” conference raiser D-Suisun City said in a press conference Thursday morning. “We are challenging not only members of the Legislature, but also Californians as a whole operate in a repair mindset.”
Wilson reintroduces a proposed constitutional amendment that will pass Forced labor is prohibited in any form. Last year, California voters rejected a voting measure that would prohibit forced jail labor. Wilson’s renewed efforts propose constitutional changes that could be voted in 2026 in front of voters if the legislature passed.
The state constitution currently prohibits slavery and involuntary slavery, except for the punishment for crimes.
But Wilson said this time they were “more prepared” and “more understanding”.
Wilson also proposed a bill to implement a volunteer work plan for inmates to allow inmates to request work tasks, which in turn would take time to attend classes and other rehabilitation activities.
Council Director Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles), vice-chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, wrote the Title 7 Act, which would allow all University of California to consider preferential enrollment for slave descendants.
“We’ve been talking about legacy and the legacy of privilege pays off … If you’re a relative of a donor or someone who has accepted one of these universities before, you often have an admissions advantage,” Brian said. “But we never Talk about the legacy of harm, the legacy of slavery, the legacy of exclusion. ”
Other bills in the package include Tina McKinnor (D-Hawthorne) from the conference chips, who attempt to allocate part of a part of the homebuy assistance program to first-time home buyers of slavery descendants; and AB 785, Written by conference stadium Lashae Sharp-Collins (D-SAN Diego), the company will create a grant program and fund community-driven solutions to reduce violence in communities and schools.
Senator Akilah Weber Pierson (D-LA MESA) aims to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare facilities through Senate Bill 503, which will limit racial bias and encourage “non-discriminatory decisions” made by healthcare providers.
“It’s crucial that the prejudice and stereotypes faced by black Americans do not exist in future innovation,” Weber said.
