The state of California is considering giving the descendants of slaves $1.2m each.
I know that seems like a lot of money (and keep in mind there has been zero apology, so no actual accountability, just an attempt at hush money), and I wouldn’t blame anyone for taking it, but I doubt it comes even close to the true value of the land and property destroyed and repurposed, never mind the pain, suffering, loss of life, and generational trauma and disadvantage that the survivors and their decedents have had to endure.
It’s better than nothing, but still pretty pathetic all things considered.
Edit: and yes, I would have my tax money pay for reparations any day - we as a society benefited, and we as a society should pay (the idea that no people who are working class today benefited from slavery is too absurd and wilfully ignorant to even address).
I also doubt that the people who don’t want “their” taxes to go to this, sit real nice and quiet when billionaires and their corporations are bailed out with amounts thousands of times larger than what is offered to this one family who’s community was literally massacered.
Also, nothing in the article says the money wouldn’t be taxable income for the recipients so I guarantee they’ll get screwed with taxes by both the federal and state government come tax time.