California Black Media

Reparations: Experts Compute Hundreds of Billions Owed to Black Californians

Economists advising The California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans have developed economic formulas that project the reparations owed to Black Californians who are descendants of people enslaved in the United States are likely to exceed $800 billion.

Published

2 years ago

April 7, 2023

Oakland Post

Shown left to right, California Reparations Task Force members civil rights attorney Lisa Holder, Dr. Jovan Scott Lewis, and Dr. Cheryl Grills at the 14th meeting in Sacramento, California, on March 29, 2023. The members of the task force were presented with an $800 billion amount from economic experts to cover harms in three categories. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

By Antonio Ray Harvey
California Black Media

Three of five harms were used in the calculations conducted by a five-member panel of economic experts: health, disproportionate housing discrimination, Black mass incarceration and over-policing are “from a long list of harms” the state “is a least partially responsible for,” said Dr. Thomas Craemer, a professor of public policy at the University of Connecticut and one of the experts involved in the assessment.

Craemer spoke last week at the task force’s 14^th meeting held in Sacramento on March 29 and 30. The figures also applies to forebears who survived legal segregation, Jim Crow discrimination and other social and economic injustices.

“These are harms for which we thought that we’d have data, that’s one criterion,” said Craemer. “The other is that they are closely related to the actions of the state of California to make our estimates more defensible in the face of challenges that will undoubtedly arrive once the proposal is made public.”

The economic experts’ analysis and final recommendations for the Task Force regarding calculations of reparations and forms of compensation and restitution were presented by Craemer and Dr. William Spriggs.

Spriggs appeared remotely in front of the task force. He is the former chair of the Department of Economics at Howard University. He now serves as chief economist to the AFL-CIO.

The health harm calculations were determined by the annual loss to “Black, non-Hispanic Californians” from health disparities by computing the 7.6 year-life expectancy gap based on the Value of Statistical Life in the United States.

“That is what statisticians use to evaluate how much each individual places value on their life,” Craemer said. “We then divide the value associated with the gap by the average Black, non-Hispanic Californian expectancy of 71 years to obtain an annual estimate of the loss to Black, non-Hispanic Californians from health disparities.”

The experts use the Black non-Hispanic Californian category because they didn’t have a U.S. Census count available for Black Californians who can trace their ancestors back to slavery in the United States.

Black mass incarceration and over-policing calculations were derived from how many Black, non-Hispanic Californians were arrested for drug felonies above the population percentage during the “War on Drugs” from 1970 to 2020.

It was multiplied by the average prison term for drug offenses and by the average annual California State employee wages to arrive at the estimated total owed to Black Californians who qualify for reparation payments.

Housing discrimination was determined by calculating the average of the Black non-Hispanic Californian wage gap for 1930, 1980, 2019. The amount gave the experts the wealth disparity from all forms of housing discrimination, Craemer said.

“I should mention that what we are estimating is not reparations. What we are estimating are losses to the African American descendants of slaves in the United States,” Craemer said. “Our calculations could be used to come up with determinations of reparations but it’s not necessarily identical. The task force can go above and beyond because how some losses are framed (is) difficult to estimate. (Such as) pain and suffering.”

The last two atrocities – unjust property taken by eminent domain and devaluation of Black businesses — are not readily available in the calculation model because of lack of data, Craemer said. The 1980 amount minus the 1930 amount provides an estimate of the effect of redlining only.

Task Force chairperson and Los Angeles attorney Kamilah V. Moore said some published news headlines have put out misinformed information about the experts’ final calculations.

“The task force has yet to determine a final amount,” Moore said.

The numbers are not concrete, leaving room for the members of the task force to evaluate, modify, or eliminate any of the experts’ findings. Spriggs said the experts are still in “deliberations.”

“I think it’s improper to prejudge what precise number we may recommend, but we’re only giving you expert advice on these specific harms. The task force has full latitude to ignore it, to add it, or take into consideration addressing tangible harms,” Spriggs added.

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California Holds the Line on DEI as Trump Administration Threatens School Funding

The conflict began on Feb. 14, when Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), issued a “Dear Colleague” letter warning that DEI-related programs in public schools could violate federal civil rights law. The letter, which cited Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which ended race-conscious admissions, ordered schools to eliminate race-based considerations in areas such as admissions, scholarships, hiring, discipline, and student programming.

Published

44 seconds ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

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By Joe W. Bowers Jr
California Black Media

California education leaders are pushing back against the Trump administration’s directive to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in its K-12 public schools — despite threats to take away billions in federal funding.

The conflict began on Feb. 14, when Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), issued a “Dear Colleague” letter warning that DEI-related programs in public schools could violate federal civil rights law. The letter, which cited Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which ended race-conscious admissions, ordered schools to eliminate race-based considerations in areas such as admissions, scholarships, hiring, discipline, and student programming.

According to Trainor, “DEI programs discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another.”

On April 3, the DOE escalated the pressure, sending a follow-up letter to states demanding that every local educational agency (LEA) certify — within 10 business days — that they were not using federal funds to support “illegal DEI.” The certification requirement, tied to continued federal aid, raised the stakes for California, which receives more than $16 billion annually in federal education funding.

So far, California has refused to comply with the DOE order.

“There is nothing in state or federal law that outlaws the broad concepts of ‘diversity,’ ‘equity,’ or ‘inclusion,’” wrote David Schapira, California’s Chief Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, in an April 4 letter to superintendents and charter school administrators. Schapira noted that all of California’s more than 1,000 traditional public school districts submit Title VI compliance assurances annually and are subject to regular oversight by the state and the federal government.

In a formal response to the DOE on April 11, the California Department of Education, the State Board of Education, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond collectively rejected the certification demand, calling it vague, legally unsupported, and procedurally improper.

“California and its nearly 2,000 LEAs (including traditional public schools and charter schools) have already provided the requisite guarantee that its programs and services are, and will be, in compliance with Title VI and its implementing regulation,” the letter says.

Thurmond added in a statement, “Today, California affirmed existing and continued compliance with federal laws while we stay the course to move the needle for all students. As our responses to the United States Department of Education state and as the plain text of state and federal laws affirm, there is nothing unlawful about broad core values such as diversity, equity and inclusion. I am proud of our students, educators and school communities who continue to focus on teaching and learning, despite federal actions intended to distract and disrupt.”

California officials say that the federal government cannot change existing civil rights enforcement standards without going through formal rule-making procedures, which require public notice and comment.

Other states are taking a similar approach. In a letter to the DOE, Daniel Morton-Bentley, deputy commissioner and counsel for the New York State Education Department, wrote, “We understand that the current administration seeks to censor anything it deems ‘diversity, equity & inclusion.’ But there are no federal or State laws prohibiting the principles of DEI.”

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Asm. Corey Jackson Proposes Safe Parking for Homeless College Students Sleeping in Cars

Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), is the author of AB 90, which would require community colleges and California State University campuses to create overnight parking programs where students can sleep safely in their vehicles. With one in four community college students in California experiencing homelessness in the past year, Jackson says the state must act urgently.

Published

17 minutes ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Assemblymember Corey Jackson. File photo.

By Bo Tefu
California Black Media

As California’s housing crisis continues to impact students, new legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 90, promises to allow college students without stable housing to sleep in their cars on campus, offering a stark but practical solution aimed at immediate relief.

“This just deals with the harsh realities that we find ourselves in,” he said at a recent hearing.

The bill passed its first committee vote and is gaining attention as housing affordability remains a top concern across the state. California rents are more than 30% above the national average, and long waitlists for student housing have left thousands in limbo. CSU reported more than 4,000 students on its housing waitlist last year.

Supporters stress that the bill is not a long-term solution, but a humane step toward helping students who have no other place to go. A successful pilot program at Long Beach City College has already shown that safe, supervised overnight parking can work, giving students access to restrooms, Wi-Fi, and a secure environment.

However, the CSU and community college systems oppose the bill, citing funding concerns. Critics also worry about safety and oversight. But Jackson and student advocates argue the crisis demands bold action.

“If we know students are already sleeping in their cars, why not help them do it safely?” said Ivan Hernandez, president of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges.

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Newsom Fights Back as AmeriCorps Shutdown Threatens Vital Services in Black Communities

“When wildfires devastated L.A. earlier this year, it was AmeriCorps members out there helping families recover,” Gov. Newsom said when he announced the lawsuit on April 17. “And now the federal government wants to pull the plug? We’re not having it.”

Published

2 hours ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

California for All College Corps.

By Bo Tefu
California Black Media

Gov. Gavin Newsom is suing the federal government over its decision to dismantle AmeriCorps, a move that puts essential frontline services in Black and Brown communities across California at risk, the Governor’s office said.

From tutoring students and mentoring foster youth to disaster recovery and community rebuilding, AmeriCorps has been a backbone of support for many communities across California.

“When wildfires devastated L.A. earlier this year, it was AmeriCorps members out there helping families recover,” Newsom said when he announced the lawsuit on April 17. “And now the federal government wants to pull the plug? We’re not having it.”

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration is behind the rollback, which Newsom calls “a middle finger to volunteers.”

Meanwhile, Newsom’s office announced that the state is expanding the California Service Corps, the nation’s largest state-run service program.

AmeriCorps has provided pathways for thousands of young people to gain job experience, give back, and uplift underserved neighborhoods. Last year alone, over 6,000 members across the state logged 4.4 million hours, tutoring more than 73,000 students, planting trees, supporting foster youth, and helping fire-impacted families.

The California Service Corps includes four paid branches: the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps, Youth Service Corps, California Climate Action Corps, and AmeriCorps California. Together, they’re larger than the Peace Corps and are working on everything from academic recovery to climate justice.

“DOGE’s actions aren’t about making government work better. They are about making communities weaker,” said GO-Serve Director Josh Fryday.

“These actions will dismantle vital lifelines in communities across California. AmeriCorps members are out in the field teaching children to read, supporting seniors and helping families recover after disasters. AmeriCorps is not bureaucracy; it’s boots on the ground,” he said.