Creating the Reparative State: An Analysis of Public Testimony on Land at the CA Reparations Task Force, June 1, 2021-June 30, 2023, and CA Reparations Report Recommendations on Land, Property Investment and Land Use Policies

Overview

The California Reparations Task Force, established in 2020 under Assembly Bill 3121, examined the historical and present-day impacts of slavery and racial discrimination on African Americans in California, making recommendations for remedies and educating the public. This analysis includes public testimonies and a comprehensive report detailing the ways systemic injustices, especially around land and property, have affected descendants of enslaved African Americans.  The Task Force's final report, comprising over 1,000 pages, includes extensive recommendations addressing land reparations, economic redress, and policy reforms.

Findings

• Loss of land ownership and exclusion from thriving areas significantly limited economic and educational opportunities for Black Californians, impacting their ability to build generational wealth and achieve economic stability, and has had enduring economic impacts.

• Displacement from areas where communities had established cultural and social networks also damaged bonds and cultural autonomy.

• Reparations calculations included  economic compensation for denied property ownership;the devaluation of Black businesses was also suggested for inclusion, but not calculated

• While media coverage of California’s Reparations Task Force focused on calculations for cash reparations, more members of the public voiced desire for land access.

Many of the desired policy remedies, including actions related to land use, housing, and community development, implicate local governments.   

Implications for Policy and Practice

The Reparations Task Force policy recommendations related to land include:

• Prioritize affordable housing in historically Black neighborhoods and implement a “right to return” policies  for descendants of displaced Black families.

• Enforce policies requiring acceptance of housing vouchers, establish rent caps in previously redlined areas, and provide legal recourse against discriminatory lending and appraisal practices.

• Increase funding for green spaces within Black communities and support for food justice initiatives, such as urban agriculture, farmers' markets, and healthy food retailing.

• Establish the California Freedman Affairs Agency to oversee reparative actions, including land restitution, genealogical verification and community investments.

By defining Reparations statewide, the Task Force’s legacy may also include:

• Creating and advancement of a lineage-based demographic category for focusing reparative work on the specific descendents of enslaved African-Americans, rather than the racial category of Black.

• Pushing local governments with high levels of segregation to evaluate their land use policies through a reparative lens.

• Changing the way the State departments and local agencies conduct Racial Equity Analysis and pursue racial equity goals.