California’s reparations task force will today release its first of two reports detailing the state’s history of slavery and racism — and recommending ways the Legislature might begin a process of redress for Black Californians, including proposals to offer housing grants, free tuition and to raise the minimum wage.
The 500-page study describes decades of state and federal government actions that harmed Black Americans — from slavery to more recent factors that include redlining, mass incarceration, police actions and the widening wealth gap between Blacks and whites.