March 30, 2023

By Janie Har

Associated Press

It could cost California more than $800 billion to compensate Black residents for generations of over-policing, disproportionate incarceration and housing discrimination, economists have told a state panel considering reparations.

The preliminary estimate is more than 2.5 times California’s $300 billion annual budget, and does not include a recommended $1 million per older Black resident for health disparities that have shortened their average life span. Nor does the figure count compensating people for property unjustly taken by the government or devaluing Black businesses, two other harms the task force says the state perpetuated.

Black residents may not receive cash payments anytime soon, if ever, because the state may never adopt the economists’ calculations. The reparations task force is scheduled to discuss the numbers Wednesday and can vote to adopt the suggestions or come up with its own figures. The proposed number comes from a consulting team of five economists and policy experts.

“We’ve got to go in with an open mind and come up with some creative ways to deal with this,” said Assembly member Reggie Jones-Sawyer, one of two lawmakers on the task force responsible for mustering support from state legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom before any reparations could become reality.

In an interview prior to the meeting, Jones-Sawyer said he needed to consult budget analysts, other legislators and the governor’s office before deciding whether the scale of payments is feasible.

The estimates for policing and disproportionate incarceration and housing discrimination are not new. The figures came up in a September presentation as the consulting team sought guidance on whether to use a national or California-specific model to calculate damages.

But the task force must now settle on a cash amount as it nears a July 1 deadline to recommend to lawmakers how California can atone for its role in perpetuating racist systems that continue to undermine Black people.

For those who support reparations, the staggering $800 billion amount economists suggest underscores the long-lasting harm Black Americans have endured, even in a state that never officially endorsed slavery. Critics pin their opposition partly on the fact that California was never a slave state and say current taxpayers should not be responsible for damage linked to events that germinated hundreds of years ago.

Bob Woodson, a prominent Black conservative, calls reparations impractical, controversial and counterproductive.

“No amount of money could ever ‘make right’ the evil of slavery, and it is insulting to suggest that it could,” he said in an email to The Associated Press, adding that Black communities relied on faith and family to build thriving communities following slavery. “Some of these communities only began coming apart after we lost sight of these values, which also hold the key to these communities’ restoration.”

Task force recommendations are just the start because ultimate authority rests with the state Assembly, Senate and the governor.

“That’s going to be the real hurdle,” said Sen. Steven Bradford, who sits on the panel. “How do you compensate for hundreds of years of harm, even 150 years post-slavery?”

Financial redress is just one part of the package being considered. Other proposals include paying incarcerated inmates market value for their labor, establishing free wellness centers and planting more trees in Black communities, banning cash bail and adopting a K-12 Black studies curriculum.

Newsom signed legislation in 2020 creating the reparations task force after national protests over the death of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police. While federal initiatives have stalled, cities, counties and other institutions have stepped in.

An advisory committee in San Francisco has recommended $5 million payouts, as well as guaranteed income of at least $97,000 and personal debt forgiveness for qualifying individuals. Supervisors expressed general support, but stopped short of endorsing specific proposals. They will take up the issue later this year.

The statewide estimate includes $246 billion to compensate eligible Black Californians whose neighborhoods were subjected to aggressive policing and prosecution of Black people in the “war on drugs” from 1970 to 2020. That would translate to nearly $125,000 for every person who qualifies.

The numbers are approximate, based on modeling and population estimates. The economists also included $569 billion to make up for the discriminatory practice of redlining in housing loans. Such compensation would amount to about $223,000 per eligible resident who lived in California from 1933 to 1977. The $569 billion is considered a maximum and assumes all 2.5 million people who identify as Black in California would be eligible.

But they won’t all be eligible. Monetary redress will be available to people who meet residency and other requirements. They must also be descendants of enslaved and freed Black people in the U.S. as of the 19th century, which leaves out Black immigrants.

In their report, the consultants suggest the state task force “err on the side of generosity” and consider a down-payment with more money to come as more evidence becomes available.

“It should be communicated to the public that the substantial initial down-payment is the beginning of a conversation about historical injustices, not the end of it,” they said.

March 30, 2023

By Errin Haines

Editor, The 19th

Vice President Kamala Harris wrapped up a three-day state visit in Ghana on Wednesday, March 29, hosting a roundtable focused on women’s economic empowerment in the country and underscoring the administration’s commitment to the issue more broadly on the African continent.

Harris met with five Ghanaian women entrepreneurs in fields including medicine, farming, climate, economics and culture at The Mix Design Hub, a woman-owned restaurant, gallery and co-working space. It coincided with the announcement of commitments of public and private funds worth about $1 billion to help close the gender gap in access to the Internet in Africa and help women further their participation in the economy.

“The investments that I have outlined, we believe will help build a future where women are not just treated equally but are able to thrive, where women have the opportunity to lead, and a future simply put where there will be no barriers for the ability of women to participate in the economy, where they can enjoy freedom from violence and equal access to health care and education, and where they can shatter every glass ceiling,” Harris said Wednesday.

Several of the Black women business leaders smiled and nodded their heads in agreement Wednesday morning as Harris again emphasized the importance not only of women’s inclusion but also their leadership as key to their empowerment and the progress of Ghana, the African continent and around the globe.

“The focus here is on both: inclusion and leadership, understanding that women must have the opportunity and the access to all that is necessary to achieve their goals, their desires, their potential, to also lead,” Harris said.

Harris said that the administration is working to measure the impact of its investment and that she’s “a big believer in metrics.”

“I do believe the window is definitely open now, and I do believe that based on what we do now the window will continue to be open,” she said. “But it will be a function of the investments that we make starting now to create the momentum that is necessary for this approach to endure.”

Harris’ mission on this trip also involves diplomacy, after the previous administration largely did not engage with Africa, with former President Donald Trump referring to some nations as “shithole countries.”

Jennifer Hart, an associate professor of history at Wayne State University, said that while the administration’s tone has changed from recent years, the policy commitments will tell the tale on whether there is real change in relations between the United States and Africa.

“The U.S. controls a lot of global economic policy, and that has enormous implications for African countries and the individuals living in them,” Hart said.

Harris, speaking to reporters after the event, linked women’s equality to democracy and security.

“When you create a system where rule of law is important, equal rights are defended and protected,” Harris said. “You will see greater empowerment of all people, including women, especially if they have been behind or you see extreme disparities. So there’s a correlation there and we’re going to continue to work on it knowing that they’re interconnected.”

Hart said that often the United States and other wealthy countries take a “kind of neocolonial approach” to Africa and that the administration should be thoughtful about what investment looks like regarding women in particular.

“These people are doing amazing stuff; they just need people to get out of their way,” Hart said. “They need access to resources and they need to be listened to, they need to be seen as equals, in a meaningful way. They need the playing field to be a lot more level than it is right now, as recognition on the part of the United States that it’s not level, it has not been level for two centuries.”

Ghana is the first of three countries Harris, the first woman and African-American vice president, will visit on her historic first trip to the continent as the most powerful Black woman in American politics. She will also travel to Tanzania and Zambia, with a continued focus on gender equality, digital inclusion and democracy.

While in Ghana, Harris has announced a proposed $100 billion in aid to help address the threats of violent extremism and instability in Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo; delivered a major speech on U.S.-Africa relations; and laid a wreath at Cape Coast Castle, a fort that was the last stop for millions of Africans during the slave trade.

March 30, 2023

By Cora Jackson-Fossett

Managing Editor

Hundreds of people descended on the Hyatt Regency LAX Hotel for the 20th anniversary of the Salute to Black Women sponsored by the Black Business Association of Los Angeles.

The daylong event, centered around the theme, “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,”

featured a business conference, vendor fair and awards luncheon in recognition of National Women’s History Month.

Eight women representing a range of professions and achievements were acknowledged at the luncheon and received commemorative plaques from BBA President/CEO Sarah R. Harris, BBA Board Chairman Earl “Skip” Cooper, emcee Kim Anthony-Morrow and several guest presenters.

Broadcasting legend Pat Prescott received the Legacy of Excellence Award and Regina Wilson, executive director of California Black Media, accepted the Leadership Impact Award.

Gina Prince-Bythewood, an award-winning film director, was honored with the Pinnacle of Excellence Award.

Cynthia E. Exum, CEO/founder of the Leimert Park Village Book Fair, was presented with the Community Advocate Award and Devyn Bakewell, Sentinel assistant managing editor and author of two books, was the recipient of the Rising Star Award.

Mayor Karen Bass (President’s Award), Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (Chairman’s Award), and retired NBC4 reporter Beverly White (Legacy of Excellence Award) were unable to attend in person but did extend videotaped words of appreciation.

The event sponsors included Southern California Edison, US Bank, Northrop Grumman, Los Angeles Sentinel, SoCalGas, Season of Greatness, Forgiving For Living, Suite Life SoCal, Metropolitan Water District, ADP and ABC7.