Los Angeles County Moves to Create a Framework for Delivering Reparations and an Apology to Black Residents for the Harms Caused by Slavery and Systematic Racism

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell’s motion calling for Los Angeles County’s Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative in collaboration with key County departments and robust community outreach to report back in 180-days on a framework to inform how the County can deliver reparations and an apology to Black residents informed by recommendations from The California Reparations Report.

“I am proud of the unanimous support of the Board to address the harmful legacy of chattel slavery and racist policies that affect Black communities. Four years ago, the County publicly committed to being anti-racist with the creation of its ARDI Initiative to acknowledge and address the sanctioned policies like redlining, eminent domain, and segregation that have created inequities that continue to impact Black communities and communities of color disproportionately. I want to thank the California Reparations Taskforce for doing the groundwork in presenting what is possible, said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. “By passing this motion to create a framework for delivering reparations to Black residents in LA County, we are taking a significant step in the collective and long journey of addressing inequities and intentionally repairing past harms that live on today.”

The California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans submitted its final report in 2023 to the California Legislature. The report details how the institution of slavery is inextricably tied to the history and prosperity of the United States and provides over 115 recommendations for meaningful steps to confront and address the perpetual harms from slavery and systemic racism that are uniquely experienced by Black people.

The motion calls for strategies for economic empowerment and delivering technical assistance to access grant and loan funding for those who have been harmed, along with best practices for implementing a formal apology, monetary reparations, and housing reparations for descendants of those who were displaced from their homes in Los Angeles County due to eminent domain.

In honor of Juneteenth 2024, the motion also calls for the Natural History Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Department of Beaches and Harbors to select one day to provide free access to residents who self-attest their eligibility.