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Protesters gathered at the California State Capitol in Sacramento to call for the passage of slavery reparations bills on August 31, the deadline for the legislative session.

The protest was organised by the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California (CJEC). It said the bills were “on the Assembly Floor BUT members of the California Legislative Black Caucus […] [were] REFUSING to bring to them up for a VOTE!”

The bills, introduced by Senator Steven Bradford, would create “a state agency to verify eligibility and implement Reparations” and create “a Reparations FUND in the state treasury to support funding for Reparations,” according to the CJEC.

The California Legislative Black Caucus Policy Institute (CLBC) issued a statement on Saturday, saying it would “continue working on [Senate Bill 1403] and reintroduce it in the next session.”

The CLBC said it would not move Senate Bill 1331 forward this year as it was not part of their 2024 Reparations Priority Legislative Package.

It said, “We will stay focused on the work at hand, united in our purpose, and dedicated to the cause of reparations and equity for all.”

The CJEC said: “Again, Black legislators stopped Reparations bills for Black Americans in California. We had the votes to pass the bills and they knew it, so they refused to bring the bills up for a vote.”

One of the bills introduced by Bradford was passed by lawmakers on August 29. Senate Bill 1050 would create a state process to compensate descendants of slaves for property taken by “by racially motivated eminent domain.” Credit: Daniela Pardo via Storyful