San Francisco’s committee has published a comprehensive proposal for damages, which includes a one time payment of $5,000,000 to every eligible Black resident.
The San Francisco African American Reparations Advisory Committee was established in 2020 by the city’s human right commission. It was charged with developing a plan to deal with “the institutionalized, City sanctioned harm” that has been done to African American communities.
The committee does not have the authority to act on its recommendations. Brittni Chicuata is the director of economic rights for the San Francisco African American Reparations Advisory Committee. She said that the 60 page proposal was sent to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in December. They are expected to either accept, amend, or reject it. Chicuata said that a hearing has not yet been scheduled to discuss the decision.
Chicuata stated that the final report will be submitted to Chicuata in June. It will include feedback from the board.
There are many recommendations in the proposal that relate to housing, financial reparations, education, job creation, school-to prison pipeline, health, and local policy.
San Francisco residents must be at least 18 years old, have been identified as Black or African American on official documents for at most 10 years and meet two additional criteria. Being incarcerated by the failed War on Drugs or being the direct descendant or descendant of someone who was. Being part of a marginalized community that suffered lending discrimination within the city from 1937 to 1968 or in “formerly Redlined” neighborhoods within the city, between 1968 and 2008. According to the committee’s plan.
According to the plan, the $5 million lump-sum payment “would compensate the affected populations for the decades of harms they have suffered and will redress economic and opportunity loss that Black San Franciscans collectively have endured as a result of both intentional and unintended consequences perpetuated by City policies.”
As a solution to the San Francisco racial wealth limit, the committee recommended that the city increase the income of low-income households by at least 250 years to match the area’s median household income. According to the draft plan, the area’s median income was $97,000 in 2013.
The committee stated that “While neither San Francisco nor California formally adopted chattel slavery,” in their plan.
The group also calls on the authorities to apologize to Black communities for any past hurt and to establish an independent reparations office that will execute the plan.
John Dennis, the chairman of the San Francisco Republican Party, criticised the plan and said that the $5 million payments would cause financial problems for the city. He said that it was unclear how the committee calculated the amount, as the report didn’t detail the calculations.
“I believe there is a discussion of good will to be had about this issue (reparations), and this is not the way to go.” Dennis stated that he believes it will also be challenged aggressively in court if it passes (plan).
Chicuata stated that the committee wanted the proposal to become a mobilizing tool “that really gets some big things done.”
Chicuata stated that she hopes that action will be taken and that the document can serve to provide a guideline for addressing slavery’s legacy.
San Francisco is one of many cities and states working together to address the institutional racism and slavery that caused the destruction of our country. These efforts gained momentum following the 2020 national uprising that resulted in George Floyd’s death, which ignited the Black Lives Matter movement. Evanston, Illinois passed reparations measures. Eligible residents were awarded $25,000 to help with a downpayment on a house, mortgage, or home repair. Several other cities have also created reparations commissions.
