In celebration of Juneteenth on June 19, the Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation, and Truth (ARRT) is launching a “Healing With Truth and Reparations” digital campaign to increase awareness of the reparations movement in California.
The campaign aims to to debunk myths and misconceptions about California’s participation in the enslavement of Black people; bring awareness to the ongoing harms endured by Black people; and uplift the need for repair through a multiracial, multisector alliance. The campaign is anchored on social media and digital channels.
Visit https://alliancefor.org to learn more about the campaign. Starting the week of June 17, videos and artwork from the campaign will be available for download. ARRT also encourages organizations and companies to endorse the California Reparations Task Force report at https://supportreparations.org.
ARRT launched in November of 2023 led by former members of the California Reparations Task Force – Dr. Cheryl Grills, Lisa Holder, Dr. Jovan Scott Lewis, and Donald Tamaki – and The Black Equity Collective, the California Black Power Network, Catalyst California (formerly Advancement Project California), Equal Justice Society, Live Free California, and Live Free USA.
ARRT’s leadership also includes a steering committee comprised of diverse organizations throughout the state: ACCE, AAPI FORCE, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus, Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), Black Californians United for Early Care and Education, Black Women For Wellness, CAIR California, California Budget and Policy Center, Community Coalition, Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement, Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress, Nikkei Progressives, PICO California, Pillars of the Community, Power CA, Reparations for Black Students (RFBS), and Western Center on Law and Poverty.
The historic report by the California Reparations Task Force draws a throughline from the harm of 246 years of enslavement, 90 years of Jim Crow and racial terror, and decades more of continuing discrimination, resulting in today’s grossly disparate outcomes for Black Californians. The report includes 115-plus policy recommendations to the California State Legislature to stop the harm from continuing and to determine a feasible long-term approach to address the harms that were centuries in the making.
A May 2023 poll from UCLA’s Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies found strong support in California for a range of reparations measures for Black Americans, particularly those focused on systemic reforms and investments in communities. (https://alliancefor.org/reparations)
James Woodson, Co-founder and Executive Director of the California Black Power Network: “Juneteenth is a time for celebration and reflection as it commemorates the end of legal chattel slavery, while also acknowledging the ongoing harm and the need for transformative justice, healing, and repair. We are owed transformative healing, truth, and reparations. This includes ending modern-day slavery in the form of involuntary servitude permitted by the California Constitution.”
Lisa Holder, former member of the California Reparations Task Force, and President of the Equal Justice Society: “Juneteenth is an opportunity for us to center reparations as a unifying force for building a sustainable multicultural democracy. Healing and truth-telling is the path to reconciliation. Our alliance begins the long overdue healing journey that will ultimately deliver the promise of a more perfect union.”
John Dobard, Vice President of Policy and Programs at Catalyst California: “The Task Force report is a roadmap to addressing the historical and ongoing injustices and anti-Black racism experienced by Black Californians. We are fighting to create a society where every Black Californian can thrive, free from the legacies of slavery and systemic racism.”
Pastor Mike McBride, Executive Director, Live Free USA: “From the horrors of slavery to the resilience shown during Reconstruction to current events, our history is rich with stories of perseverance and triumph in the face of systemic oppression. Addressing the harms and injustices of the past is the first step towards building a multiracial democracy where every individual can participate fully and equally.”
Felicia Jones, Managing Director, Programs and Operations, Black Equity Collective: “We must unite to make a significant impact and ensure we receive what is owed. It is essential to dispel the myths and misconceptions about California’s participation in the enslavement of Black people. California was not immune to the atrocities of slavery and state-sanctioned racism. The legacy of these injustices continues to inflict harm on Black communities.”
Dr. Cheryl Grills, former member of the California Reparations Task Force, and Loyola Marymount University Professor of Psychology, Director of their Psychology Applied Research Center, and President’s Professor in their College of Liberal Arts: “We are dedicated to implementing the task force report’s policy proposals, guided by the five United Nations reparations principles. We strive to turn these well-informed recommendations into actionable realities, aligning with our stakeholders’ and communities’ high standards and expectations.”
Donald K. Tamaki, former member, California Reparations Task Force, and Senior Counsel, Minami Tamaki LLP: “The movement for reparations is strengthened by the support of allies from all racial backgrounds. ARRT champions a multiracial coalition to advocate for reparative justice, emphasizing that the fight against racial injustice benefits all communities by moving us closer to a more equitable and just society.”
