A head of a California reparations task force has ordered taxpayers to pay their “sin bill” and apologize for “what was done to black people.”
dr Amos Brown, vice chairman of California’s reparations task force, said people need to “relax” over the group’s radical proposals, which include paying up to $1.2 million in cash to black residents heard.
“You can’t put a dollar on what was done to black people,” he told Fox News. “Our sin count in this nation has been so high, and because of long years of inaction, interest has grown.”
Brown’s comments come weeks after his task force sent its recommendations for redress to state lawmakers. However, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has so far declined to say if he will support them.
Reverend Amos Brown said redress was needed because taxpayers would have to pay for “what was done to black people.”
Amos, a civil rights activist who is also a member of the San Francisco Reparations Task Force, said the huge payouts were necessary as a “sin law of enslavement.” From discrimination. From intimidation. Terrorizing black people.
His San Francisco task force previously released its own recommendations for $5 million in paydays, a $97,000 guaranteed income and the elimination of all debt.
While acknowledging that the gargantuan sums mean the state should pay what it “can afford,” the activist stressed that officials could even try to pursue a payment system similar to Germany’s after World War II.
“If you can’t pay for all that, say what you can pay for.” That’s the point,” he continued. “If we can’t pay it now, we’ll do it like the Germans do – pay it in installments.”
California’s push for reparations has drawn criticism for a lack of clarity about funding. Some critics also pointed out that California was never a slave-owning state when the practice plagued the country.
However, Amos argued that the state still had a “debt” to pay to its black residents.
“Unfortunately, this evil group called the Ku Klux Klan was formed in California here in San Francisco,” he added.
“So San Francisco’s hands aren’t clean.” They’re complicit in this evil system… We need to stop making excuses and come up with a sensible plan that shows we have good intentions.”
The California Reparations Task Force was chaired by Chair Khamilah Moore (left) and Vice Chair Dr. Amos Brown (right) headed
California reparations hearings were controversial, with black residents claiming the million-dollar payouts were insufficient
Many in the Golden State openly support the idea of redress and the work of the task force. Pictured here is Morris Griffin holding up a sign for redemption
Amos’ tirade comes weeks after California’s reparations task force passed radical recommendations that could give black residents up to $1.2 million each.
If signed into law, the maximum amount would be available to residents who lived in the state until the age of 71. The final report is due to be sent to lawmakers before July 1, where it will forecast compensation estimates calculated by several economists the group is working with.
The amount those reparations would cost the state wasn’t spelled out in the report, but previous calculations by economists suggested they could cost about $800 billion — more than double California’s annual budget of about $800 billion $300 billion.
The cost breakdown was made by assessing the damage of various forms of discrimination over the years, including a $2,352 per person per year loss from excessive policing and mass incarceration of black communities.
Residents residing in the state between 1933 and 1977 could also receive $3,366 per person per year for “discriminatory lending and zoning.”
And per person per year of residence in California, $13,619 could be paid for “health injustices and discrimination,” alongside $77,000 per person for black-owned business losses and depreciation.
Rev. Tony Pierce criticized the panel for not being ambitious enough in the recovery plan
Despite the huge sums provided by officials, some local residents have expressed anger at the committee, believing the potential gain was not enough.
At a meeting earlier this month following the task force’s recommendations, Reverend Tony Pierce was filmed denouncing the proposal. He argued that since America had its “broken promise” of 40 acres and a mule for newly freed slaves, the figure should be in the order of $200 million.
He said, “You know the numbers weren’t supposed to be the same as the one acre back then.” We got 40, OK? We were given 40 hectares of land.
“You know what that number is.” You keep trying to talk about slavery but research back to slavery and say nothing about slavery, nothing.
“So the undetermined number from the 1860s for 40 acres to date is $200 million for every single African American.”
He then criticized the panel for not being ambitious enough in the reparations plan.
“One should not be afraid,” he added. “You should just tell the truth.” You shouldn’t be the gatekeepers. “You should say what the people want and hear from the people.”
The controversial hearing also highlighted the $5 million recommendation to San Francisco residents, with one local calling for the assets to be handed over to residents across the state.
The final report is due to be sent to lawmakers before July 1, where it will forecast compensation estimates calculated by several economists the group works with
Kamilah Moore, a redress law expert and attorney, who led the task force, previously said she wants to be as “radical as possible” when it comes to deciding who gets redress and how much
“$1.2 million isn’t nearly enough.” “It should cost at least $5 million like San Francisco,” they said.
“We want direct cash payments, just like the stimulus package.” [checks] were sent. It is our heritage and we can deal with it.”
And another resident added: “These millions of dollars we’re hearing on the news is simply insufficient and yet another injustice when this task force has been doing this to black Americans for more than 400 years and the continuation of the slavery and injustice that we… have will recommend.” forced to endure.
“Throwing even a million dollars at us is just an injustice.”