From Acknowledgment to Action:
The State of Reparations Across
America
May 2024
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Land
Acknowledgement
With great respect, the City of Santa Monica acknowledges the Yaavitam, the first people of this ancestral and unceded territory of Kuruvungna that we now know as Santa Monica; honors their elders, past and present, and the Yaavitam descendants who are part of the
Gabrieleño/Gabrielino/Tongva Nation.
We recognize that the Gabrieleño/Gabrielino/Tongva are still here and as settlers and guests (Kuuyam), we recognize our responsibility and obligation to care for their land.
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Reparations Basics
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United Nations
Principles on
Reparations
1. Restitution
2. Compensation
3. Rehabilitation
4. Satisfaction
5. Guarantees of non-repetition
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Best Practices:
Assessing
Impact
Understanding the impacted communities
• no perfect claimant: rarely owned outright, often
relied on white allies
• no perfect claim: most actions were technically
supported or justified by the authority of the time
• Reparations don't only focus on things with known market value
• Actions taken changed the course of people's lives
• The wealth gap as proxy for the impact of biased policies Item 3-E
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Best Practices:
Designing a
Reparations
Program
Design to remedy specific past injuries or
instances of past discrimination Specific
Reparations programs must be race-neutral,
so they do not violate Proposition 209
Race
Neutral
Identify sites of harm and build a registry of
impacted individuals
Focused
and
Detailed
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Best Practices: Nonprofit Administration
SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE ENHANCED COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
OPERATIONAL
EFFICIENCY
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Examples
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State of California
• $100M fund created for
land return & Indigenousled ecological restoration
o Nearly 50,000 acres
returned to-date
o Part of State's
broader Truth &
Healing Process for
Native Californians
• 2020 Policy to encourage
State agencies to
collaborate with tribes
and return land in excess
of State needs
o Over 1,250 acres of
land returned todate
Indigenous
Reparations/
LandBack
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Indigenous
Reparations/
LandBack
Municipalities
Eureka:
• Transferred 300+ acres of land to Wiyot tribe
land trust, awarded tribe’s land trust contract
to manage two youth housing projects serving
primarily Native youth
Oakland:
• Returned five acres to Sogorea Te’ Land Trust
(STLT) (Ohlone tribe) via cultural conservation
easement
Berkeley
• This year, Council returned 2.2 acre parking lot
to STLT
Huntington Beach
• Title of 6.2 acres transferred directly to
Acjachemen Tongva Land Conservancy
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Ideas from TTPC
• Statement of
Accountability in lieu of
Land Acknowledgement
• Living Land
Acknowledgement,
complete with plaque
and native plants in
Tongva Park
• Basket-weaving garden
• Institutional Kuuy
Nahwá’a (guest
exchange)
• Land Back
Indigenous
Reparations/
LandBack
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JapaneseAmerican
Reparations
In 1988, the Ronald Regan
administration granted $20,000 in
reparations to each JapaneseAmerican who had been interned.
LA County provided reparations of
up to $5,000 to Japanese
employees who were wrongfully
terminated during internment.
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MexicanAmerican
Reparations
Chavez Ravine:
• A Mexican-American community in Los
Angeles, demolished in the 1950s.
• Displacement: Families were removed for
public housing projects that were never
built; land later became Dodger Stadium.
• Discussions on financial compensation for
displaced families or their descendants,
Proposals to build affordable housing units
in the area, efforts to preserve the history
and culture of Chavez Ravine through
museums and memorials.
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AfricanAmerican
Reparations
Reparations funding already paid
Reparations commission formed
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Santa Monica in the Report
• KKK Chapter formed in 1920s
• City prevents Black investors from building a
beachfront resort that immediate afterwards
was developed as the Casa Del Mar by white
developers
• Construction of the 10 freeway through
neighborhoods of color
• “On the land that is currently Belmar Park in
Santa Monica, the City of Santa Monica took
away and burned down the homes and
businesses of people in the African American
neighborhood of Belmar Triangle through
eminent domain for the construction of the
city’s expanded civic center, auditorium, and
the Los Angeles County Courthouse”
• Ebony Beach Club
California Reparations Report
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St. Paul, MN paying reparations for homeownership to people who lost their home to Freeway construction
Reparations
for Freeway
Construction
Ashville, NC paying reparations for land taken through eminent domain through the sale of that land
Commission charged with developing short, medium, and long-term recommendations to “make significant progress toward repairing the damage caused by public and private systemic racism,” so that the City of Asheville and local community groups may incorporate these recommendations into their short- and long-term priorities and plans.
Civic
Building
Construction
LA County returns Bruce's Beach in Manhattan Beach
Black
Entrepreneurs
Providence, RI administering $10M reparations to "Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color" through federal ARPA funds
Reparations
for Harm
Across
Multiple
Communities
Similar Cases
Across the
Country
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Reparations Funds
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Evanston,
Illinois
• Evanston is the first U.S. city to fund reparations for Black residents.
• Focuses on addressing historical housing
discrimination.
Program Overview
• Funded by a 3% tax on recreational cannabis sales.
• $10 million allocated over 10 years.
Funding Mechanism
• Provides $25,000 grants to eligible Black residents for home repairs, down payments, or mortgage payments.
• Aims to address wealth gaps and promote
homeownership among Black residents.
Program Framing
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Asheville,
North Carolina
• Asheville has committed to reparations aimed at closing racial disparities.
• Focuses on healthcare, education, and housing.
Program Overview
• Initially funded through the city’s budget reallocations. • $2.1 million allocated for the initial phase, with ongoing funding strategies being developed.
Funding Mechanism
• Emphasizes community reparations rather than direct
payments.
• Aims to create generational wealth and opportunities for Black residents through targeted programs and
investments.
Program Framing
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Providence,
Rhode Island
• Providence is creating a reparations program focused on African American and Indigenous residents.
• Addresses the city’s history of slavery and systemic racism.
Program Overview
• Funded by a combination of city budget reallocations and potential state and federal grants.
• Initial investment of $10 million.
Funding Mechanism
• Prioritizes investments in education, healthcare, and job training.
• Seeks to rectify past injustices and build a more equitable future for affected communities.
Program Framing
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Durham,
North
Carolina
• Durham is creating a reparations program addressing racial inequities.
• Focuses on economic development, affordable housing, and health equity.
Program Overview
• Funded through the city budget, with an initial allocation of $1 million.
• Exploring additional funding from state and federal sources.
Funding Mechanism
• Combines direct investments in communities with policy changes to ensure long-term impact.
• Seeks to create a sustainable model for addressing racial disparities.
Program Framing
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San Francisco,
California
• San Francisco is developing a comprehensive reparations plan for Black residents.
• Focuses on economic empowerment and community
development.
Program Overview
• Initial $120 million allocated from the city’s law enforcement budget.
• Exploring additional funding through state grants and private donations.
Funding Mechanism
• Includes initiatives like housing grants, business support, and educational scholarships.
• Aims to repair the harms of systemic racism and promote economic stability.
Program Framing
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Considerations
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Challenges
Many city governments find themselves resistant to reparations not because they don’t believe harm was done, but because they believe it would be impossible to compensate for that harm.
Many cities are not as fiscally strong as they were pre-COVID.
Rebuilding and repairing can seem like conflicting priorities.
Who do we want to be? How do we get there?
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Justice by
lawsuit vs.
Justice by
policy
Motivation:
Sued: Reparations are driven by legal obligation, often resulting from a lawsuit that compels the responsible party to make amends.
Proactive: Reparations stem from a moral or ethical decision, motivated by the recognition of past harms and the desire to address them voluntarily.
Perception:
Sued: Reparations may be seen as a forced action, which could lead to a perception of insincerity or simply fulfilling a legal requirement.
Proactive: Voluntary reparations are often viewed more positively, as they demonstrate accountability and genuine commitment to making things right.
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Justice by
lawsuit vs.
Justice by
policy
TIMING
• Sued: Reparations occur after a legal battle, which can be prolonged, increasing the harm and suffering before any resolution is reached.
• Proactive: Reparations are provided without waiting for legal action, potentially mitigating further harm and
fostering quicker healing and reconciliation.
COST
• Sued: Legal fees and potential damages can significantly increase the cost of reparations, making it more expensive than addressing the issue beforehand.
• Proactive: Avoiding legal battles can reduce overall costs, as funds are directly allocated to reparations rather than legal defenses and court fees.
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Justice by
lawsuit vs.
Justice by
policy
IMPACT ON RELATIONSHIPS
• Sued: The adversarial nature of lawsuits can strain
relationships between the responsible party and those
harmed, leading to prolonged distrust and conflict.
• Proactive: Proactive reparations can build trust and
improve relationships, as they demonstrate a willingness to acknowledge and rectify wrongdoings without external
pressure.
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Thank You
We are grateful to be doing this work for the City
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