(UnitedVoice.com) – In 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) created a first-of-its-kind board to study the issue of reparations for African Americans. Those are payments to people impacted by slavery. The board was tasked with giving a recommendation, which they did. Voters are vehemently against it, though.
On September 10, the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies released a poll co-sponsored by The Los Angeles Times that shows a majority of voters in California do not support cash reparations. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of voters said they oppose cash payments. Meanwhile, 28% of residents supported the measure. Most people (44%) who oppose reparations responded that they strongly opposed the move.
The poll was broken down by race as well. Black voters support cash reparations by 76%. It found that 10% of black voters strongly oppose such a measure. The vast majority of white (65%), Hispanic (55%), and Asian-Pacific (59%) voters strongly oppose and somewhat oppose cash payments.
State Senator Steven Bradford (D) told the LA Times that he wasn’t surprised to learn most people oppose reparations. He claimed “miseducation” about slavery is to blame for that opposition.
Over the summer, the California Reparations Task Force released its final report and recommendations. The board recommended providing cash reparations to all descendants of slaves. They cited mass incarceration, healthcare disparities, housing discrimination, and police brutality as reasons for the payments.
The board also recommended the state start paying prisoners the fair market value for the work they do while they’re incarcerated. They wanted rent caps in majority-black neighborhoods, and other suggestions they claimed would make lives better for descendants of slaves.
Although voters have expressed opposition to cash payments, they will not make the ultimate decision. Lawmakers will decide what to do with the report. The Democratic-controlled body is known for its social justice policies, but it’s not clear what they will do. Governor Newsom will have to sign any legislation lawmakers pass before it becomes law.
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