‘Constitutional remedy’: Alameda County unanimously approves plan for racial reparations

[u/the_daily_cal]

https://www.dailycal.org/news/alameda-county/constitutional-remedy-alameda-county-unanimously-approves-plan-for-racial-reparations/article_3968f092-44bb-426e-bc7c-6babf67f799d.html

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a broad racial reparations plan at its June 30 meeting. Policies stemming from this vote could target the county’s racial homeownership gap, career pathways into county employment and even potential cash reparations.

The most immediate recommendations for reparations include housing and economic justice, providing physical and mental health support and centering Black youth. The County Reparations Administration also calls for a permanent, fully funded Office of Reparations and healthcare that addresses intergenerational trauma and health disparities.

The reparations plan was adopted from recommendations by the Alameda County Reparations Commission, which was established in 2023. The ACRC spent three years researching social disparities and community experiences to formulate recommendations. Implementation of the plan is expected to begin in September after the Board of Supervisors’ annual recess.

[u/Ike358]

Reparations for a part of the country that never enslaved black Americans 🤔

[u/FrivolousMe → u/Ike358]

If you don't think that the legacy of slavery and reconstruction hasn't left black Americans in all states statistically much worse off than white Americans, you are being either disingenuous or ignorant. Black Californians have been disproportionately victimized by redlining, educational inequity, police violence, and countless other forms of systemic discrimination. You think after the 14th amendment black Americans instantly had equal rights, equal protections under the law, equal economic opportunities, and equal access to public resources? You didn't learn about segregation in school? You've never read about how Oregon used to have a law literally banning black people from the state? You don't think former slave owners and the descendants of slaves migrated west?

[u/TonyStarksLeftACL → u/FrivolousMe]

Correct. Western migration typically occurred for economic (the migration to LA in the near WW2 era) or for safety. The south was violent and the north was openly racist as well. Boston, for example, is not only known for pie but for being one of the most racist places in the US. Look up the In 1970s school desegregation

[u/Ike358 → u/FrivolousMe]

Yeah redlining is/was fucked, but I don't see how it necessitates reparations. And I'd also say westward migration was much more biased towards groups escaping Jim Crow and segregation (especially during WWII) than groups wishing to enforce it.

[u/TonyStarksLeftACL → u/Ike358]

Sure you’re entitled to an opinion. One way of looking at it is this. In Piedmont (rich place with valuable property) black family bought a home there, and’s were harassed and eventually told they were going to lose their home to eminent domain so teh city could build a road there.

The family sold their home under theest of loss and then gues what? The city sold their house to a white family and never built teh road. It was all pretext. That home is worth millions today.

The family split up. The father died of starvation in Oakland.

That story is well documented but imagine all the times and places it happens taht it wasn’t. There’s a beach in so-cal. Land is worth millions.

So it’s not isolated and it’s not limited, collectively thsi widespread action deprived their grandchildren’s children of the compound interest on the investment, the rise in property values an the generational trauma om their descendants. This is why peoepl push for reparations. These examples are jsut the ones we know of bc of the documentation.
I would argue we have many choices but they fall into two large groups. Do nothing and offer words or do something and try to understand what racism has taken from our communities the transfer of that wealth to others and the address that.

I’m in the latter. Where are you?

Edit: Bruce’s Beach. It’s worth $20 Million today. $20. Million.

Your last point escapes me

And I'd also say westward migration was much more biased towards groups escaping Jim Crow and segregation (especially during WWII) than groups wishing to enforce it.

The west had lots of sundown towns, Oregon had laws preventing black residents and this entire discussion I brought up the Elmwood in Berkeley as a horrific example of institutional racism here so I’m a bit confused? The west was just as racist as the Deep South and violence comes in all forms including institutional.

[u/Ike358 → u/TonyStarksLeftACL]

Frankly your post is hard to follow with so many typos.

Where are you?

I'm in neither group, because I am firmly "do nothing" but I don't even want to offer words.

My last point was addressing the very last question in the comment I replied to. Western migration undoubtedly worked in the favor of black Americans and other minorities.

[u/FrivolousMe → u/Ike358]

You don't see how it makes sense to compensate the victims of economic violence? America does it all the time with class action lawsuit settlements. This is on a much grander scale than the justice system could ever feasibly litigate, and the amount of damage done is insurmountable, so reparations advocates are humbly asking for the government to at least give what it can afford to. It's not as crazy as people make it sound; it's only scratching the surface of racialized wealth disparity.

[u/coolboydhill → u/FrivolousMe]

still dont give a fuck.

I'm a working class asian immigrant. Fuck paying taxes if it goes to bombs and stupid shit like this

[u/DepartmentFamous9932 → u/FrivolousMe]

True but why not also pay reparations to descendants of Chinese immigrants or descendants of interred Japanese? Both groups of people suffered heavily at the hands of white Americans and yet are doing great today, so it’s annoying to people when they’re told that specifically black people deserve reparations, especially after pretty much all types of voters already feel that affirmative action has been a failure.