A recent poll conducted by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, in partnership with the Los Angeles Times, has revealed that most California voters are against providing cash reparations to the descendants of African American slaves. Out of the respondents, 59% opposed cash payments, while only 29% supported the idea. Furthermore, a significant portion of those who opposed the concept reported “strong” opposition.
This poll comes in the wake of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signing a bill in 2020 that established the California Reparations Task Force. The purpose of this task force is to explore how the state could take a leading role in potential reparations programs. Governor Newsom, during the bill signing, highlighted the need to address the historical discrimination and disadvantages faced by Black Californians and people of color, stating that such disparity hinders the nation’s ability to thrive.
The California Reparations Task Force recently published its final report, which proposed compensating qualifying Black residents with up to $1 million in cash payments from the state, along with other benefits such as the elimination of child support debt and free tuition for public colleges. These cash recommendations aim to address various issues, including health disparities, housing discrimination, and the impact of mass incarceration.
The task force suggests that eligible descendants of slaves should receive $13,619 for each year of residency in California to tackle health disparities. Additionally, they recommend providing $2,352 for each year of residency between 1971 and 2020, a time marked by significant racial disparities due to the war on drugs and excessive policing.
When broken down by political affiliation, the poll revealed that 90% of Republicans oppose cash reparations, with only 5% in favor. In comparison, 43% of Democrats support the idea, whereas 41% oppose it. Independents showed a greater disapproval rate, with 65% opposing and 22% supporting cash reparations.
The poll also analyzed respondents’ reasons for opposing the concept of cash reparations. The most common rationales cited were that it is unfair to ask taxpayers today to pay for past wrongs and that singling out one group for reparations is unjust when other racial and religious groups have also been mistreated throughout history.
Interestingly, the poll found that Black voters were most likely to support cash reparations, with 76% in favor and 16% opposed. In contrast, approximately six in ten Asian and Latino voters expressed opposition, while nearly two-thirds of White voters shared the same sentiment.
As of now, Governor Newsom’s office has not provided a response to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the poll results.