Black speakers urged the Board of Supervisors to stand ‘on the right side of history’ during an hours-long public comment session on reparations. That may well happen, but getting people paid will require more than that.
San Francisco’s task force on Black reparations presented its final recommendations this afternoon on how the city can alleviate the harms of anti-Black racism, including the possibility of $5 million payments made to Black residents harmed by the city government.
While the supervisors were broadly receptive of the reparations plan, Mayor London Breed presents an obstacle: The city’s first Black female mayor has stated that she is against cash payments at the city level, and has not agreed to fund a future reparations office.
The mayor is not bound to spend money allocated by the supervisors. And the city is staring down painful budget cuts next year, which are likely to forestall any grand spending on reparations.
Still, District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton, a strong supporter of reparations and the only Black supervisor, introduced a resolution on Tuesday to accept the final reparations plan, which would cost tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars in additional spending, if fully implemented. The resolution will be voted on as early as next week.
“This is a distinct moment, and this can not be overstated,” said Tinisch Hollins, vice chair of the African American Reparations Advisory Committee. “So to speak, we have all the receipts, and truthfully, you do, too.”
The recommendations presented Tuesday centered around three overarching proposals: San Francisco should issue a formal apology to Black residents, establish an independent reparations office and launch a committee to oversee reparations policy.
That reparations office would be responsible for implementing specific policy fixes, of which there are more than 150 in the 400-page final plan created by the committee.
Those specific recommendations range widely: Lump sums of $5 million to Black residents who have suffered specific harms at the hands of city government, forgiveness of student loans for Black public-school students, the creation of new rental and homeownership opportunities for Black residents, and dozens of other proposals.
The reparations committee was created by the Board of Supervisors in December 2020 to address harms inflicted by the San Francisco government against Black residents, and has been meeting since May 2021 to draft its plan.
‘We are celebrating today’
Tuesday’s session saw a rally on the steps of City Hall, led by committee members and Walton who, in 2020, introduced the ordinance establishing the committee.
“We did the job, y’all. Our 150 recommendations on how this city can get started,” said Hollins. “We are celebrating today, and we are holding the city accountable.”
Parris Lane stood in the crowd with a handmade umbrella covered by a collage of old photos and newspapers, showing scenes of Black suffering.
“I feel sort of relieved that we are duly acknowledging our ancestors,” she said.
Derek Wilson, 74, has been living in San Francisco for almost 50 years. “They owe us, for what has been accomplished by African Americans in history,” he said.
After the rally, throngs packed the Board of Supervisors chamber to hear the committee’s final recommendations. Speakers in line for public comment, which lasted three hours, wrapped around the room.
Walton addressed the public at the start of the meeting.
“In order to achieve reparations, we will need our Latino allies, our Asian allies, our LGBTQ allies, our Jewish allies, our white allies — the entire San Francisco to make this happen,” Walton said.
The reparations committee spent the next 25 minutes outlining key recommendations from its report.
The presentation included a brief history lesson outlining suffering faced by Black San Franciscans, like the mid-20th century razing of vast swaths of the Fillmore District, which caused the displacement of nearly 20,000 people.
“There were atrocities before this and, sadly, many more have happened since,” said Eric McDonnell, chair of the reparations committee.
“You saw your Black neighbors and black businesses in your districts. Friends, people you grow up with, displaced. You continue to see the harm perpetuating as you work in your current seats,” Hollins said at the end of the presentation. “We see you every day, doing your best. But this is the moment we are calling on you to do more than your best.”
‘The paralysis of an analysis’
Public comment kicked off with a speech from The Rev. Amos Brown, a pastor at San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church.
“Black folks were looked at, but our humanities were never seen,” Brown said to the board. “Our house is on fire. We don’t need a paralysis of an analysis. Just do it.”
In public comment, people shared experiences of family properties taken, displacement, and loss of loved ones. People said they were born and raised in San Francisco but couldn’t afford to own a home here. A speaker said her grandparents’ house was taken away.
A number of teachers showed up to call for investments in education for the Black community. A number of recommendations revolve around education, including the creation of a Historically Black College or University in San Francisco and the creation of an “Afrocentric” K-12 school.
“The city has too much money to have this kind of disparity in education,” Suzanne Kelly said. “Something should be done about it, and should be done now.”
One speaker, who said she was a “white woman named Karen,” said she, too, supports the reparations plan. “Our ancestors created systematic racism that we benefit from today. We need to repair the harm we have caused.”
Though the Board did not vote on Tuesday, supervisors seemed supportive in moving forward with the plan.
“If we don’t right the wrongs for Black people, done to Black people in this country, we are never gonna heal as a nation, no matter what race you are,” said District 2 Supervisor Catherine Stefani after public comment. “I want you to come back when we are taking the votes.”
“I want to reiterate: This is not a cry for help, but a demand on repair and creating equity,” said Walton.
People show up at a rally to support reparations for Black people on Tuesday. Photo by Junyao Yang.
People show up at a rally to support reparations for Black people on Tuesday. Photo by Junyao Yang.
People show up at a rally to support reparations for Black people on Tuesday. Photo by Junyao Yang.
A woman holds a sign at a rally to support reparations for Black people on Tuesday. Photo by Junyao Yang.- People show up at a rally to support reparations for Black people on Tuesday. Photo by Junyao Yang.
- People show up at a rally to support reparations for Black people on Tuesday. Photo by Junyao Yang.
People show up at a rally to support reparations for Black people on Tuesday. Photo by Junyao Yang.
Junyao Yang is a data reporter for Mission Local through the California Local News Fellowship. Junyao is passionate about creating visuals that tell stories in creative ways. She received her Master’s degree from UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Sometimes she tries too hard to get attention from cute dogs.
