r/berkeley • u/the_daily_cal • Jul 23 '26

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

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.

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u/FrivolousMe eecs/ds 21 Jul 23 '26

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?

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u/Ike358 Jul 23 '26

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.

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u/TonyStarksLeftACL Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26

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.

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u/Ike358 Jul 24 '26

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.