Gavin Newsom, Governor of California: Addressing Slavery Apology and Racial Justice
California Apologizes for Slavery
On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom officially signed Assembly Bill 3089 into law, apologizing for the state’s part in the 19th-century slave trade. The legislation, brought forth by Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer, recognizes how the state was complicit in the owning of over 2,000 African people from 1850 to 1860 even though California’s constitution prohibited slavery. The law requires the creation of a memorial plaque at the Capitol to remember those who suffered under slavery; it is considered a groundbreaking statute.
Newsom issued a statement acknowledging California’s history of promoting and allowing slavery in his statement on where we go from here. It shall read: The State of California apologizes for the role we played in enslaving our Black ancestors and fully acknowledges its dehumanization impact that continues to permeate every aspect of their lives.
Racial Disparities Legislation Signed into Law
Alongside the formal apology, Governor Newsom signed other bills aimed at addressing racial inequality and advancing justice. These laws help close the gaps, and I am proud to see our state take another step toward a more just world.
Preventing Food Deserts
With Senate Bill 1089, grocery stores and pharmacies must give a heads up before closing to help prevent the creation of food deserts in communities who would lose access to essential goods.
Bolstering anti-discrimination statutes
AB 1815 builds on current employment anti-discrimination protection and makes clear that hair texture and protective hairstyles are traits historically associated with race that labor laws already cover.
Mandate Bias Training for Hospitals
But Assembly Bill 2319 would sanction the California Attorney General to sue hospitals that are not training their staff on unconscious bias as a means of narrowing racial health care gaps.
Banned Books in 2014 Review
AB 1986 calls on the Office of the Inspector General to audit and publish the list of books banned in state prisons, creating new transparency and oversight within a system long suspected of abuses.
A small step toward healing and reparation
Reggie Jones-Sawyer, D-Los Angeles; who also served on the Californian Reparations Task Force called a formal apology, “a monumental achievement,” and lauded the fact that it admitted systemic racism caused harm. “Apologies must come before healing can even begin,” Jones-Sawyer said. He also explicitly highlighted that California is admitting its guilt to participating in violating Black persons’ fruitless pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness by way of racist-freighted punitive laws.
The apology was among the recommendations of a Reparations Task Force in the state, which spent two years studying the economic and social injuries California inflicted on African Americans. The task force later endorsed financial reparations for the descendants of enslaved people, but those recommendations have seen limited legislative support.
Perseverance, Not Patience: On Going Struggle for Racial Justice in California
The formal apology is a key milestone in the effort, but California lawmakers have yet to finalize several bills that would create a new entity to run reparations and set aside money for them. Nevertheless, passing these new laws is part of the state’s continued effort to address historical wrongs and pursue racial justice.
Black Caucus Chair Assemblywoman Lori Wilson thanked Governor Newsom for signing the bills, applauding his leadership and pledging to continue in the fight for justice and equity moving forward. This is a multiple year effort and I anticipate that for years to come we will continue our partnership with the Governor on this critical work.
A Landmark Apology and the Laws to Secure Racial Justice
From left: Assembly members Shirley Weber, Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer Sr., and Jim Cooper attend the news conference for ACA-3 on June 23, 2021. Alex Horvath, The Sacramento Bee/AP California’s formal apology for its involvement in slavery marks one of the state’s many attempts to grapple with its history and to promote racial justice. Below is her just-released text of her apology as well as a discussion about other new laws aimed at anti-discrimination, healthcare equity and prison reform, which show California’s ongoing commitment to confronting systemic racism and achieving racial equality. Though financial reparations are in progress, these steps represent an important leap of faith toward recognition and reparation.