San Francisco Considers $5 Million In Reparations For Black Community

SAN FRANCISCO — The city’s Board of Supervisors is weighing whether to approve a draft proposal from a city-appointed committee that calls for a one-time payment of $5 million to eligible Black residents. The committee proposes utilizing the funds to eradicate individual debts and tax obligations, ensure annual incomes of $97,000 for 250 years, and provide San Francisco homes to families at a rate of $1 each.
The 15-member San Francisco African American Reparations Advisory Committee is in its final stages of developing a citywide plan to address the enduring impacts of slavery and discrimination. It mirrors another statewide reparations commission, the California Reparations Task Force.
But the committee is still grappling with who should be eligible for payment, how much to pay and how to fund it amid a tech industry downturn that has created an estimated $1 billion deficit for the city. The conclusive report from the committee is anticipated in June, after which the responsibility of crafting legislation will fall to the lawmakers.
Supporters and critics alike agree that a discussion about the issue is needed, but some have argued that $5 million payments are too high for San Francisco to afford right now. They also argue that the city cannot afford to earmark funds for such a high-profile issue.
Justin Hansford, a professor at Howard University School of Law, said the city shouldn’t be afraid to address the issue in the language people understand, and that means money. He adds that if you want to say you’re sorry, “you have to say it in the language that people understand.” But he says he’s not sure how much money it would take to repair some of the damage done by slavery.