Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed a bill on Thursday that has California apologize for the state’s role in slavery during the 19th century.
Newsom was joined by members of the state’s legislative black caucus as he signed AB 3089, proposed by Democratic state Assemblyman Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer Sr.
“As we confront the lasting legacy of slavery, I’m profoundly grateful for the efforts put forward by Chair Wilson and the members of the California Legislative Black Caucus,” Newsom said in a release.
“The State of California accepts responsibility for the role we played in promoting, facilitating, and permitting the institution of slavery, as well as its enduring legacy of persistent racial disparities,” the governor added. “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.”
In 2023, California became the first state in the country to explore real restitution for racism in the state’s history. A California task force determined that state courts had enforced fugitive slave laws and that more than 2,000 enslaved people were brought to California after it was admitted as a free state in 1850.
The task force recommended the apology, which specifically says the state apologizes “for the perpetration of gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity on African slaves and their descendants.”
“This is a monumental achievement born from a two-year academic study of the losses suffered by Black Americans in California due to systemic bigotry and racism,” Jones-Sawyer said in the release.
“Healing can only begin with an apology. The State of California acknowledges its past actions and is taking this bold step to correct them, recognizing its role in hindering the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness for Black individuals through racially motivated punitive laws,” the assemblyman added.
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Other bills signed by Newsom on Thursday aimed to address “food and medical deserts,” add additional protections against discrimination, combat maternal health disparities, increase access to literature in prisons, and address employment discrimination, among other things.
Newsom vetoed a bill on Wednesday that would’ve helped black families reclaim land or receive compensation from the government for land unjustly taken.