California Task Force Convenes To Study Reparations For African Americans

Speaker 1: 00:00 As the country continues to reckon with its harmful history of racial injustice, born out of slavery and systemic racism. California's newly formed reparations taskforce is meeting the nine member taskforce met for the first time last week and established their goal to study and develop reparation proposals for African-Americans reparations task force member, Monica Montgomery step, who also represents district four on the San Diego city council joined midday edition to talk about her role on the task force and what she hopes to accomplish. Here's that interview. So in this first meeting with the task force, you all spent time defining what reparations is. And when we look at places like Evanston, Illinois, and Asheville, North Carolina, they call social programs, reparations, but that's not what we're talking about here. Can you explain the differences and what this task force is trying to Speaker 2: 00:53 Address? This task force is charged with doing some investigatory work, additional research, truly defining what reparations should mean for African-American Californians and then completing a proposal by June 1st of 2023, so that the state legislature lecture could have a say in that proposal. So I believe in certain aspects of reparations around cash payments, around additional social programs, investing into failing schools with African-American students, student loan, debt, payoff, there are many different ways that we can go about pursuing this repair that needs to happen not only in California, but in the nation. We just have to figure out the best way to do that and educate people along the way. How will Speaker 1: 01:52 The task force figure out who qualifies for reparations Speaker 2: 01:55 AB three one two, one that was authored by Dr. Weber is the bill that established this task force. And the bill is somewhat specific about African-Americans who are descendants of slaves. We still have to dig deeper into that and figure out, you know, identifying who would be eligible for reparations, how we would go about doing that. So clearly, you know, we have two years to do this work, but it is a lot of work and we look to be a model for the nation. And so we're going to be very detailed in how we move forward, because I think it's going to be very important, uh, as the nation's eyes are upon us in this taskforce, you know, some people Speaker 1: 02:39 Are having a tough time understanding why this effort should be a priority. One question people are asking is why should California take this on when it wasn't part of the Confederacy? Can you talk about Speaker 2: 02:50 That? I am a descendant from folks who came from the Confederacy, uh, myself. And in addition, you know, this is a issue and, and the effects of slavery reverberated across the nation. We know that there has been since slavery state sponsored discrimination, state-sponsored violence among uh African-Americans. And so we have to look at the entire spectrum of how slavery actually built this nation to be one of the richest nations in the world without slavery, that would not have happened. And since that time, red lining black codes, Jim Crow era, and what that brought about the terrorizing of black families, we have to look at this across the board. Slavery absolutely was horrible, and it was the first layer of this, but there are many other layers of discrimination that were built on top of the foundation of slavery. And California is also a part of a lot of that type of discrimination. So we have a responsibility, I believe, to put our best foot forward with doing the investigation, doing the research on the nationwide impact of slavery, but also on events that may have occurred in California specifically. Well, the, Speaker 1: 04:17 This task force works to address those violations against humanity and the oppression that followed do reparations work without a strategy for social justice. And how important is that to all of this? Speaker 2: 04:30 Well, I believe reparations is foundational to how we move forward in the social justice space. I really do. I think part of the social justice conversation should certainly be about repairing the nation and, and repairing, uh African-Americans who are descendants of slaves, uh, based on the laws that we have followed in this nation. So it's certainly a part of the conversation. It should not be, you know, be all to end all. We still have quite a bit of work to do. And I think that's where the educational piece comes in as well, because there is a lot of, of confusion about where reparations fits, but it's extremely important. And as a policymaker, you know, I can draft all types of policies and introduce all types of policies, but the foundational work of, of repairing the wrong is needed. If those policies will be successful in the future, Speaker 1: 05:33 I'm asking, you know, the reparations we'll address the wrongs, right, that have already happened. But if we still have systemic racism, that's so prevalent in healthcare and finance and banking and all of those things, housing even then do the reparations really work. Speaker 2: 05:51 I see my work as coinciding so much with what we are doing on the force with regard to reparations. So I think really to have a sustainable nation, we have to have both and, you know, the education of why reparations are so relevant, why it's so important. It's important to continue to educate because as we educate, we will understand that many of our laws stem from racist origins and that has created systemic racism in our systems. So we, as a part of reparations, I believe how to continue to educate because the education, the empowerment, the enlightenment that this will bring it will in and of itself, I believe begin to really change the structure of our government to change those laws. We will then know where these laws have come from and what spirit in which they were passed. And we can do the work to shift that paradigm. You know, it all works together for us to be in a better state, uh, in it in a better nation. So I think they go together, you know, Speaker 1: 07:08 The task force is intergenerational and diverse. How do you see that playing out? And how do you think you all will Speaker 2: 07:15 Work together? It will be like many other taskforce and commissions and committees that we serve on. We all come with a different perspective and we have to continue to work together. We have to respect each other, which I believe, you know, we had a great start in doing that and we'll continue to do that. And I think we will work well together to be proud of the product that we present to the state legislature. That Speaker 1: 07:45 Intergenerational divide was highlighted during the vote for chair and vice chair. Um, what was your takeaway from that? Speaker 2: 07:51 Yeah, well, it was very important as expressed by other task force members that we honor that intergenerational component that we honor gender inclusivity in leadership, and it was displayed, it was a close vote, the first go round. But I think we made really good choices and the task force will be better for it. We have a young African-American attorney who is a woman that is chairing this task force. And we have a civil rights leader that was taught by Martin Luther king, Jr. Who is the vice chair. And both of our leaders now will be able to work together and to provide the different perspectives so that again, we can move forward with a good product, a good plan to bring before the state legislature that was reparations Speaker 1: 08:53 Task force member, Monica, Montgomery step. She also represents district four on the San Diego city council.