By Todd Shea
2023 President
Santa Barbara Association of Realtors
I was fortunate to attend a fantastic Fair Housing and Diversity forum in Indian Wells last week at the California Association of Realtors Winter Directors Event. With black history month on everyone’s mind, this forum focused on reparations for African Americans and the California Reparations Task Force. The task force is studying the institution of slavery and its lingering negative effects on living African Americans, including descendants of persons enslaved in the United States. This task force was put together to make recommendations to the California government following their findings. Led by Chair Kamilah Moore and rounded out by a fantastic group of senators, lawyers, civil rights leaders, and psychologists, the task force will release a final report on June 1st with recommendations on community eligibility, and compensation models.
Possible reparations may include making amends for the harm done, restitution for stolen land and cash, subsidized health care, legal services, satisfaction (symbolic), and guarantees of non-repetition.
The interim report thesis is focused on 12 specific areas of systemic discrimination.
Racial Terror
Political Disenfranchisement
Housing Segregation
Separate and Unequal education
Racism in Environment and Infrastructure
Pathologizing the Black Family
Control over Creative Cultural and Intellectual Life
Stolen Labor and Hindered opportunity
Unjust legal system
Metal and Physical Harm and Neglect
The Wealth gap