California Governor Signs Bill Apologizing for State’s Role in Slavery, Discrimination

The legislation was one of several bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed to address racial discrimination.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed a bill requiring the state to apologize for its historical role in slavery and racial discrimination against black residents.

The bill stated that California apologizes for the harm caused by its history of segregation, discrimination, coercive sterilization, physical injury, psychological harm, and unequal disbursal of state and federal funding, declaring that such actions should not be repeated.

The apology bill was signed by Newsom, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire, and Chief Justice of California Patricia Guerrero.

In a statement, Newsom said the state accepts responsibility for its role in “promoting, facilitating, and permitting the institution of slavery, as well as its enduring legacy of persistent racial disparities.”

“Building on decades of work, California is now taking another important step forward in recognizing the grave injustices of the past—and making amends for the harms caused,” the governor said.

Assemblymember Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, the bill’s author and member of the California Reparations Task Force, said it was a monumental achievement born from the task force’s 2023 report, which detailed “the losses suffered by black Americans in California due to systemic bigotry and racism.”

The apology bill was one of the several pieces of legislation that Newsom signed to address racial discrimination and issues affecting black residents, according to a statement issued by Newsom’s office.

Other bills include measures to combat maternal health disparities, address employment discrimination, increase access to literature in prisons, and boost college and career financial support for foster youth.

One day earlier, Newsom vetoed a proposed bill that would have helped black families reclaim or be compensated for property that was unjustly taken by the government.

The bill would have created a process for families to file a claim with the state if they believe the government seized their property through eminent domain due to discriminatory motives and without providing fair compensation.

In his Sept. 25 veto statement, Newsom thanked the bill’s author, Sen. Steven Bradford, for his commitment to addressing past racial injustices but said the bill is “impossible” to implement because it tasks “a nonexistent state agency to carry out its various provisions and requirements.”

The Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation, and Truth (ARRT) has voiced disappointment over Newsom’s veto of the bill, which it said could have been a “historic step” toward reparations and social justice in California.

“While SB 1050 and other important measures failed this session, we acknowledge the complexities of the current fiscal and political environment and remain committed to advocating for meaningful and impactful progress,” ARRT said in a Sept. 26 statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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