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California lawmakers are set to consider a bill that would grant admission priority to descendants of slaves at the University of California and California State University systems.
According to the Associated Press, California Assemblymember Isaac Bryan is planning to introduce the bill seeking to address systemic inequities from slavery and its aftermath.
“For decades, universities gave preferential admission treatment to donors and their families, while those tied to legacies of harm were ignored,” Bryan said in a statement. “We have a moral responsibility to right those wrongs.”
The California Democrat noted that reparations should be more than just monetary payments. According to university reports, Black students only make up roughly 4 percent of California State University's and the University of California's student populations.
“Repairing the harm and inequality that came from slavery and the policies thereafter is a much bigger process,” Bryan said.
The proposed legislation aligns with recommendations made by California's Black Reparations Task Force. Governor Gavin Newsom previously signed legislation formally apologizing for California's legacy of racism. However, Newsom vetoed a bill aimed at helping Black families reclaim property unjustly taken by the government.
Bryan's legislation will face a lengthy approval process but he expressed optimism over its passing, saying lawmakers have a “growing understanding of California’s role in perpetuating inequalities."
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