California Governor Gavin Newsom just added a twist to the ongoing reparations saga in the Golden State. He agreed to fund a $6 million study to confirm if individuals are descendants of enslaved people, but in a plot twist nobody saw coming, he vetoed several other important bills aimed at addressing racial injustices. Are we seeing progress, or is this just a classic case of political juggling?
One of the nixxed proposals would have allowed colleges to give admission preferences based on ancestry, which Assemblymember Isaac Bryan called “more than disappointing.” Newsom defended his veto, saying colleges already have the power to make those decisions themselves. That sounds like a classic “you had one job” moment, doesn’t it? Meanwhile, discussions about reparations in California have been going on for years, leaving many advocates feeling like they’re stuck in a never-ending cycle of “study now, act later.”
The governor even approved the creation of a Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery to make sure eligibility for reparations programs gets sorted out. But critics warn this could delay actual compensation for the descendants they’re meant to help. It seems we’re playing a game of political chess, with the lives and legacies of many on the line. At this rate, you have to wonder: will reparations remain a dream deferred, or do politicians need to stop delaying and start delivering?
