A new California bill is being introduced today in order to give priority admission to the descendants of slavery at the University of California and California State University. The goal is to offer reparations on the policy-level and prepare for the incoming Trump administration and its strong stance against diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
The bill is being introduced as new members are being sworn in for a new legislative session, Democrat assembly member Isaac Bryan told the Associated Press.
“There is a growing understanding of California’s role in perpetuating the inequalities that arose from slavery, and there’s a willingness to try to rectify that harm, to heal that harm,” he said. “When folks think about reparations, they think about just cash payments. But repairing the harm and the inequality that came from slavery and the policies thereafter is a much bigger process.”
The measure will have to go through a months-long process. It is being proposed in response to incoming President Trump’s stance against D.E.I. After the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in 2023, several states have repealed D.E.I.-related programs and organizations at universities. For instance, Duke University discontinued its full-ride scholarship program for Black students. In addition, University of North Texas overhauled its curriculum to exclude references to race and equity. However, colleges like Wesleyan University have defended D.E.I. initiatives as being part of their offering as a higher education institution.
“For decades universities gave preferential admission treatment to donors, and their family members, while others tied to legacies of harm were ignored and at times outright excluded,” Bryan said. “We have a moral responsibility to do all we can to right those wrongs.”
In September, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law to formally apologize for the state’s role in discriminating against Black residents. Yet, other state proposals that would have offered reparations were blocked. Lawmakers blocked a proposal that would have created an agency specialized in reparations programs and Newsom vetoed a bill that would have helped Black families claim back property that was seized by the government, according to the AP.
The November general election also included a measure that would have banned forced prison labor, which was rejected on the ballot by California voters.
