Barbara Lee applauds California reparations as a ‘human right long overdue’
Cami Mondeaux
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Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) applauded the recommendation of paying reparations to black residents in California, calling the move a “human right” that has been “long overdue” for decades.
“Reparations are not a luxury for our people, but a human right long overdue for millions of Americans,” Lee said during a meeting with California’s Reparations Task Force on Saturday. “The atrocities committed against black Americans are undeniable, and reparations are a tangible route to acknowledging and making amends to the glaring economic and social impacts of slavery and systemic racism. We must repair this damage.”
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Lee’s comments come just hours before the task force is set to vote on its recommendations for a formal apology for California’s role in perpetuating slavery in the United States and the subsequent discrimination that followed. The proposal was calculated by a consulting team of five economists and policy experts that was created by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) in 2020.
The task force is expected to approve the package on Saturday, sending the proposal to state legislators for final approval.
The reparations proposal comes after Newsom signed legislation in 2020 to create a task force assigned to calculate the economic damages of racially biased policies in the state. That move was met with mixed reactions, as some supported reparation payments while others pushed back on such steep costs.
Lee pointed to the economic fallout caused by slavery, including the “lack of generational wealth due to racism” that “has severely impacted the lives of African Americans.”
“There is no equality without equity,” Lee said. “Reparations are not only morally justifiable, but they have the potential to address long-standing racial disparities and inequality.”
Lee’s comments come as the California Democrat eyes a run for Senate in the Golden State to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who will retire after her term ends next year. Lee faces at least two challengers after Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Katie Porter (D-CA) also announced their intent to run for the seat, setting the stage for a competitive primary.
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The 12-term representative is expected to make diversity a key tenet of her campaign, using her campaign announcement to highlight the lack of black female senators after Vice President Kamala Harris’s departure in 2021. During her comments on Saturday, Lee pointed to her previous efforts to pay reparations and other efforts to “establish the truth, racial healing, and transformation.”
“I want to applaud you all for taking the leap because California is leading on this issue,” Lee said. “I call on all lawmakers and citizens to support federal and state level legislation that aims to provide reparations for those who have historically been marginalized and had to deal with the impact of hundreds of years of being enslaved.”