We Should All Be Paying Attention To The San Francisco Reparations Proposal

By Sage Howard, Huffington Post

A reparations committee is proposing San Francisco give each qualifying Black resident $5 million in reparations to repair the racial wealth gap stemming from the legacy of chattel slavery. And as you can imagine, everyone has something to say about it.

The San Francisco African American Reparations Advisory Committee is a collective of Black professionals who advise the city’s leaders on repairing harm to their communities. They recently delivered an extensive report that pinpoints specific strategies for reparations that address historical segregation and redlining (extensions of chattel slavery) that contributed to the racial wealth gap.

The report is detailed and thoughtful. The criteria for receiving reparations, first off, is that individuals must be 18 or older to qualify and prove they have identified as African American for at least 10 years. Individuals must also provide proof that they fit into two out of eight additional qualifying categories, such as being born in San Francisco between 1940–1966 with proof of residency for at least 13 years or being impacted by the criminal justice system’s failed war on drugs (either personally or as a descendent). In addition to a proposal for a $5 million lump sum for each qualifying person, the plan outlines debt relief and supplemental income for those earning less than the city’s average median income.

Howard argues for reparations.

Learn about other aspects of racial repair.

More Black culture and news stories.