San Francisco supervisors are taking up a draft reparations proposal that includes a $5 million lump-sum payment for each eligible Black person.
An estimated 50,000 Black people live in San Francisco, but it's not clear how many of them would be eligible for financial reparations. The recommendations lay out a number of possible criteria, such as living in San Francisco during a certain time period and descending from someone incarcerated for the police war on drugs.
Eric McDonnell, chair of San Francisco's African American Reparations Advisory Committee, said he's disappointed by people who don't understand the legacy of U.S. slavery and how structural racism reverberates through institutions today. Black residents once made up more than 13% of San Francisco's population, but more than 50 years later, they account for less than 6% of the city's residents - and 38% of the city's homeless population. The Fillmore District once thrived with Black-owned night clubs and shops until government redevelopment in the 1960s forced out residents.
The committee's final report is due in June, and there's no timeline for San Francisco to act on the recommendations. At Tuesday's hearing, the board could direct staff to conduct further research, write legislation or schedule more meetings. "We are the harmed," he said. "If the judge ruled in our favor, the judge would not turn to us and say, 'Help them figure out how to make this work.'"
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