Reparations Task Force uncovers significant damages

BY ADAM AKINS & IRENE JUNG

The scars of slavery and Jim Crow are visible everywhere in the United States. California, however, is the first state to take concrete steps to provide restitution to the African American communities impacted by centuries of structural racism. Restitution will take many forms, ranging from making monetary payments to repealing outdated laws to vitalizing communities.

The California State Assembly took action in the aftermath of the police murder of George Floyd and the ensuing racial injustice protests by passing Assembly Bill 3121 on

Sept. 30, 2020, creating the “Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans.” The Task Force’s final reparations report to the state legislature is scheduled to be released before June 1, 2023.

In March, the Task Force’s expert team outlined five key categories of ongoing harm from structural racism for African Americans in California:

• Health Harms: 1850-present

• Housing Discrimination: 1933-1977 or 1850-present

• Mass Incarceration & Over-policing:

• 1971-present

• Unjust Property Takings:

• 1850-present

• Devaluation of African American Businesses: 1850-present

These five categories have been linked to pervasive damage within African American communities in the state, with effects ranging from the personal to the financial.

Health Harms

Redlining is a pervasive policy practice that started during the Jim Crow era that uses eminent domain and malicious city planning to withhold services from minority commu- nities. The pervasive effects of redlining can be seen in many areas, including in the health of marginalized communities.

A 2020 study by Anthony Nardone, Joan Casey and others published in The Lancet found that historically redlined areas have “significantly higher rates of emergency department visits due to asthma.” As historical risk ratings for African American communities rose, the prevalence of asthma also increased, illustrating direct correlation.

Asthma is not the only issue; an earlier study by Nardone also found that adverse REPARATIONS page 3 >>

Country Day community recovers from Davis stabbings

BY GARMAN XU, EESHA DHAWAN & SOPHIA MONASA

Two April homicides and one attempted homicide in May near the University of California, Davis campus left members of the SCDS community on edge.

High school French teacher Richard Day, who lives near the location of the first stabbing, was shocked when he heard the news on the radio.

“Davis tends to be thought of as this quiet, sleepy little town. This was totally out of the ordinary,” Day said.

On the day of the first stabbing, he felt as though the town was on lockdown. Many shops were empty or closing early, and the town was eerily quiet, Day said.

Hearing about the stabbings has made him remain vigilant around his neighborhood, Day said.