Calif. moves bills for reparations as RFK Jr. pitches payments for Black farmers

May 24

Lauren Taylor Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Reporter), Jonah Applegarth (Video Editor)

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Lawmakers across the nation are revisiting the issue of reparations and hearing from members of the Black community. Meanwhile, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is making a bold promise: If elected president, he pledges to allocate $5 billion in reparations to Black farmers.

“When I’m in the White House, I’m going to get rid of those people in USDA and get that money,” Kennedy said during a podcast conversation with John Boyd Jr., founder of the National Black Farmers Association.

Kennedy said he believed this money was unjustly taken from Black farmers due to discrimination.

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However, Kennedy faces significant challenges. His chances of winning in November are slim, with former President Trump and President Biden running neck-and-neck. A recent Quinnipiac poll shows Biden at 48% support and Trump at 47%.

Moreover, courts already deemed a similar provision in Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 unconstitutional. The provision aimed to provide $5 billion to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers who faced racial or ethnic prejudice. A federal judge labeled it a “race-based discriminatory program.”

Despite these obstacles, some state and local lawmakers took matters into their own hands. The California Legislative Black Caucus introduced a package of reparations bills based on recommendations from California’s Reparations Task Force. Recently, the California Senate passed three of these bills. The bills address compensation for families who lost properties in racially motivated eminent domain cases, establish a reparations fund and determine eligibility criteria.

Meanwhile, other cities and states are just beginning to explore reparations for Black Americans.

Boston and Philadelphia launched reparation task forces to develop proposals for descendants of enslaved individuals who endured racism in the United States. Illinois and New York also passed legislation to study reparations.

Tags: California, Farming, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., USDA

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE TOPIC OF REPARATIONS IS BACK IN THE HEADLINES THIS WEEK.

FROM COAST-TO-COAST LAWMAKERS ARE LOOKING AT THE SENSITIVE ISSUE AND HEARING FROM MEMBERS OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

AND ONE LONG-SHOT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IS BETTING –

IT’LL PROPEL HIM TO THE WHITE HOUSE.

ROBERT F KENNEDY JUNIOR SAYS HE’LL SUPPORT GIVING BLACK FARMERS $5-BILLION DOLLARS IN REPARATIONS IF HE’S ELECTED PRESIDENT.

WHILE SPEAKING WITH JOHN BOYD JUNIOR, THE FOUNDER OF THE NATIONAL BLACK FARMERS ASSOCIATION – ON HIS PODCAST, KENNEDY SAID “WHEN I’M IN THE WHITE HOUSE… I’M GOING TO GET RID OF THOSE PEOPLE IN USDA AND GET THAT MONEY.” KENNEDY SAID THAT MONEY WAS STOLEN FROM BLACK FARMERS THROUGH DISCRIMINATION.

HOWEVER – KENNEDY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE GOOD ON THAT PROMISE:

FIRST — HIS CHANCES OF WINNING IN NOVEMBER ARE SLIM. FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP AND PRESIDENT BIDEN ARE RUNNING “NECK-AND-NECK” – WITH BIDEN AT 48% SUPPORT AND TRUMP AT 47% — ACCORDING TO A QUINNIPIAC POLL RELEASED EARLIER THIS WEEK. LEAVING VERY LITTLE SPACE FOR RFK JR TO MAKE INROADS.

AND NUMBER TWO – THE COURTS ALREADY RULED A SIMILAR PROVISION IN BIDEN’S AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021 unconstitutional. The provision would’ve given SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS AND RANCHERS WHO HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO RACIAL OR ETHNIC PREJUDICE — $5-BILLION DOLLARS.

A FEDERAL JUDGE CALLING THE PROVISION A “RACE-BASED DISCRIMINATORY PROGRAM.”

HOWEVER – SOME STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE DEVELOPING THEIR OWN REPARATIONS TASK FORCES AND DRAWING UP BILLS.

EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS INTRODUCED A package of REPARATIONS BILLS – AFTER RECEIVING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CALIFORNIA’S REPARATIONS TASK FORCE.

AND THIS WEEK THE CALIFORNIA SENATE PASSED THREE OF THEM. THE BILLS WOULD COMPENSATE FAMILIES THAT LOST PROPERTIES IN RACIALLY MOTIVATED EMINENT DOMAIN CASES, CREATE A FUND FOR REPARATIONS, AND ORDER THE REPARATIONS TASK FORCE TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY FOR THE PROGRAMS.

THESE CALIFORNIA SENATE BILLS NOW HEAD TO THE ASSEMBLY FOR A VOTE.

MEANWHILE – OTHER CITIES AND STATES ARE JUST BEGINNING TO LOOK INTO REPARATIONS FOR BLACK AMERICANS.

BOSTON AND PHILADELPHIA LAUNCHED REPARATION TASK FORCES TO ALSO DEVELOP PROPOSALS FOR PEOPLE WHOSE ANCESTORS WERE ENSLAVED AND ENDURED RACISM IN THE UNITED STATES.

ILLINOIS AND NEW YORK HAVE ALSO PASSED LEGISLATION TO STUDY REPARATIONS.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR…

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