Cali Panel Approves Reparation Payments of $1.2 Million Each and More…

LightField Studios / shutterstock.com
LightField Studios / shutterstock.com

Well, California has officially done it. They’ve agreed on the amount that every black resident should be paid as part of their reparations for having former slaves in their family tree.

According to the New York Times, the discussion on just how much is deserved has been an ongoing discussion for years now. And finally, the state’s commission has put out a number that has been agreed upon.

So how much could a surviving descendant of a slave get? $1.2 million. And yes, that’s per person.

According to the panel that came up with the number, that would effectively cover the so-called effects of housing discrimination, mass incarceration, and other perceived racial injustices.

And if that isn’t enough, the panel has agreed that these would be cash payments will only be the beginning.

Additionally, the report by the panel calls for a rather massive apology and “admission of wrongdoing.”

Of course, that’s far from the end of it, as an apology itself would never be good enough.

According to the Los Angeles Times, some new laws may also come into play.

First and foremost, it says that Proposition 209 must be axed, which banned affirmative action in 1996. Additionally, every single law in all levels of government will have to be evaluated to discern their “racial impact.”

Naturally, a few may then be rewritten accordingly.

Black communities will also get more parks and community wellness centers. Voting rights formerly denied to prisoners will be reinstated. Tuition will be free for anyone eligible for reparations. And going forward, more grants and the like will be paid so that black Californians can own homes, get business loans, etc.

Of course, the agreed-upon number still has to go through The Golden State’s legislature and onto the Governor’s desk. Given that both are democratically controlled, it’s not hard to see this going through.

Where the state is going to find $1.2 million for each of its 2.5 million black residents is a different story, though.

Now, to be clear, not all black residents are eligible for these payments. According to the panel, there must be proof that they are, in fact, a descendant of a former slave or “free black person living in the United States prior to the end of the 19th century.” Additionally, each recipient would be forced to then stay in California for at least ten years.

Still, I don’t know where an already strained state economy will get all that cash…