California had the country believe that it was all in about giving reparations to its Black residents, repairing the damage caused by years of systemic racism. Everyone involved knew the weight that this task would hold.
Yet they fooled Black Californians and the rest of the country with their performative actions.
On the very last day of the official legislative cycle — legislators are currently in a special session on another performative topic — California lawmakers killed two bills essential to the reparations movement.
“I’m very disappointed that 1403 and 1331 didn’t get at least a floor vote,” said State Senator and Steve Bradford after the general assembly closed for the year, except for the special session. Senate Bill 1403 would create the California Freedmen Affairs Agency, which would oversee and administer reparations. SB 1050 would compensate families who have had their property taken from them in racially-motivated applications of eminent domain.”
Bradford, sponsor of both bills, urged for a vote to be taken but his request was ignored. The politics behind their end showcased the performative nature that has kept this movement afloat.
“The votes were there but the legislative Black caucus chose to hold them because of some concerns that were expressed by the administration. We were so close to the finish line that this could have been the ideal time to deliver for not only California but for the rest of the nation because they were truly watching.”
What they watched was the failure of the Black Caucus.
There’s only one person who stood in the way of reparations getting off the ground and it it’s the same person who empowered this effort in the first place, Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Opinion
The performative Gavin Newsom
Back when he was addressing the state budget proposal, Newsom was asked about reparations and didn’t mince words about his commitment.
“I haven’t read [the Reparations report] — I’ve devoured it. I’ve analyzed it. I’ve stress tested against things we’ve done, things we’re doing, things that we’d like to do, but can’t do because of constitutional constraints. And I’ve been working closely with the Black Caucus.”
So somehow the task force’s 1,000-page final report, released in 2023, was light work for Newsom and now he wants a new study to “devour.”
What is disappointing is the Black caucus’ willingness to go along with this.
“I really can’t stress how good of a working relationship we have — Lori Wilson and others have been just magnificent — and we continue to work through this,” Newsom said in the state of the state address.
The work of Wilson and the Black caucus is admirable but their willingness to appease Newsom’s counterproductive need for another study shows weakness.
I find the governor’s actions disappointing since this is the same person, who back when he was mayor of San Francisco allowed same-sex marriages, going against the federal law prohibiting it at the time. But in the end, it’s just a performance to him.
It’s different this time around because he behaves as if he has higher aspirations than just being the Governor of California. Just in the last three months he’s spent more time across the country on CNN campaigning for what feels the entire Democratic Party than here in California addressing important issues.
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Reparations require action
California has blinded itself with performative politics so much that the governor has forgotten that he actually has implement the polices that he champions.
Don’t let the Black caucus and Newsom fool you, the reparations effort in California is over. The request for another study is the equivalent your mom saying you’d get McDonalds if you do your homework. You didn’t get McDonalds. You had to go in the fridge and make your own food. But in the case of thousands of Black Californians the fridge is almost empty.
I’m sure Newsom can name tons of Black friends that he has but cannot say much about what he is doing to undo the years of oppression their ancestors faced.
Newsom has but two more years to create his lasting impression on Californians. If the reparations movement stays lifeless, it will impair their view of him and devalue his supposed genuineness when handling issues for our most vulnerable.
Reparations are not an easy subject, but it is achievable. It requires, however, leaders who are constantly worried about how something will look. Let’s not forget, this is about repairing the unjust and oppressive system that Black and brown Californians experienced.
For a cause that important, the least we can do is show political courage.
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