Cook Center Founding Director William A. Darity Jr. recently added comments to a CalMatters article covering the controversy surrounding a GOP-backed reparations bill that fractured California’s Black Caucus and key grassroots supporters. In his remarks, Dr. Darity reaffirmed his long-held position that federal reparations, not state-level efforts, are the most viable and comprehensive path toward reparations for the descendants of African slaves in America.
The article details how Republican Assembly Member Bill Essayil introduced a reparations bill similar to a proposal from the California Legislative Black Caucus, gaining unexpected support from major advocacy groups. However, Essayli’s sudden resignation on April 1st to take a federal role under President Trump’s administration leaves the movement divided and the bill’s future uncertain.
Access the full piece here: ‘He played them’: How a GOP reparations bill splintered supporters of California’s Black Caucus
