SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The state of California could pay more than $800 billion to compensate Black residents for generations of over-policing, disproportionate incarceration and housing discrimination, experts said at a Wednesday meeting.
Those same experts said the total is the estimate of the loss. The task force could ultimately decide to give back less, just as much or more.
"We're pushing for reparations across the country," said Reverend Tony Pierce, CEO of Black Wall Street Project. "That's my main reason for being here."
Pierce like many others were at the Reparations Task Force meeting in Sacramento.
"I don't believe that it is totally African Americans' fault that they are poor," said Pierce. "This was set in place years ago. And we were brought here as slaves... we have purposely been kept away from money. We've purposely been kept away from the American dream. We have purposely been kept away from generational wealth."
During the meeting, many showed support for the reparations, while only one called in to voice their opposition.
“Slavery ended 160 years ago. It's wrong to ask taxpayers — many from families like mine who came to the U.S. after slavery ended — to pay for the wrongs of slavery,” said the anonymous caller.
The estimated loss of $800 billion doesn’t include how much the descendants’ community may have lost from the devaluation of Black businesses or unjust property takings.
"We have built the entire infrastructure of this country, and then just been left with nothing," said Pierce.
The task force is still trying to make determinations, including who should be considered to get reparations and how long they’ve lived in California.
The meeting continues Thursday. The deadline to make a final decision is July 1.
