Our fight for reparations has reached a critical point, and we need your support!
Take a moment to sign our letter or make a quick call or email to Senate Appropriations Chair Anna Caballero at (916) 651-4014 or paloma.elizalde@sen.ca.gov, to urge her to advance AB 57 and AB 62 (McKinnor) to the Senate Floor for a full vote.
Also, call and email Assembly Appropriations Chair Buffy Wicks at (916) 319-2014 and zak.castillo-krings@asm.ca.gov, demand that SB 437 & SB 518 (Weber-Pierson) be sent to the Assembly Floor for a vote.
In the current legislative session, ARRT’s priority bills, SB 437, SB 519, AB 57, and AB 62 (McKinnor) are on the suspense file and are at risk of failing. In Sacramento, insiders say the suspense file is where bills go to die. We need your support to revive these critical reparations policies in California and let these elected officials know that reparations are necessary.
Friend, we need you to call and email them until Friday, August 29, and spread the word!
- AB 57 (McKinnor) – This bill requires the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) to set aside 10 percent of the funds under the California Dream for All Program for applicants who are descendants of formerly enslaved persons.
- AB 62 (McKinnor) – This bill establishes a procedure by which a dispossessed owner, as defined, of property that was stolen as a result of racially motivated eminent domain can apply for and receive compensation.
- SB 437 (Weber-Pierson) – Establishes the California American Freedmen Affairs Advisory Agency to oversee implementation and ensure reparations programs are accessible and accountable.
- SB 518 (Weber-Pierson) – Creates a CSU-based genealogy research pilot program to help Black Californians trace lineage and access eligibility documentation.
Can we count on you to sign on? Your voice matters—let’s make these elected officials understand that reparations are not optional and a debt that is owed.
We can’t afford not to have reparations. When the system is unfair and remains broken, it results in long-term social and economic costs. Investing in reparations is an investment in a stronger, more united California. We want elected officials who repair harm and are actively working to take care of Californians. It’s about building a state that respects the contributions of Black Californians and ensures that all residents have the opportunity to succeed, ultimately benefiting everyone.
Click here to sign a letter of support or call telling Senator Cabellero and Assemblymember Wicks that reparations can’t wait!
Reparations are not just about addressing historical slavery; they also focus on the ongoing harms and unfair practices that Black people continue to experience today in education, healthcare, housing, and employment. By implementing reparations, California is righting its wrongs and laying the groundwork for a brighter future and healing for everyone.
Together, we can move from recommendations to repair.
Thank you again for your ongoing partnership and your commitment to fighting for justice.
Onward until reparations are real,
The Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation & Truth
