San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors recently met and approved a bold set of reparations policies for the city in its efforts to eradicate slavery and racism. The board is making headlines for proposing cash payments of up to $5 million, along with a host of other important proposals. While final decisions have not yet been made, the proposals demonstrate the growing momentum toward reparations policy in San Francisco and across the country.
Post-San Francisco Reparations Committee recommends $5 million payout, $1 homes first appeared on Blavity.
On Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors received a report from the San Francisco African American Reparations Advisory Committee. a panel formed in 2020 to examine issues of reparation within the city following the killing of George Floyd. The committee’s report included a number of bold steps to address the effects of slavery and anti-black racism as it affects black residents of the city. One prominent proposal is that San Francisco will make a one-time payment of $5 million to each eligible black resident in the city. Another proposed idea would provide black people in San Francisco with a guaranteed minimum income of nearly $100,000 a year. Another possible plan would allow Black San Franciscans to buy homes for as little as $1. The Supervisory Board warmly welcomed these and almost 100 other recommendations and expressed its unanimous approval of the committee’s proposals.
Reactions have been very mixed so far, both in terms of the overall push for reparations in San Francisco and the specific proposals on the table. Opponents of reparations in San Francisco argue that since California was not a slave state and many current residents, including immigrants, have no connection to slavery, a San Francisco reparations policy would be unnecessary and unfair. Opponents continue to argue that the plan would simply be too expensive for the city. Meanwhile, those who support the proposals argue that the effects of slavery, and later racial discrimination, have spread well across California and the country. In addition, the high costs associated with the project are reasonable given the still high impact of slavery and racism on town and country.
The issue of reparations remains a contentious issue, with a large majority of black Americans supporting the idea and most white Americans opposed. But efforts like those in San Francisco and other cities across the country show reparations have become more likely in different parts of the country. The reparations debate in San Francisco, for example, is taking place as California moves closer to its own policies to balance slavery and racial oppression and discrimination against black people.
Neither the California state plan nor the San Francisco proposals will be implemented overnight. For San Francisco, the Restoration Committee will receive feedback on its proposals before issuing a final report in June. At this point, the Board of Directors may accept, reject or act on the proposals at its own discretion. Whatever San Francisco ultimately moves on reparations will likely have a major impact on how other cities and even states approach the issue in the near future.
