San Francisco could become the first major US city to fund reparations under a plan that would award $5m (£4m) to each eligible black resident. The proposal, developed by a city-appointed panel, also includes guaranteed annual incomes of $97,000 and homes for $1 per family.
The city's Board of Supervisors has begun considering the recommendations, which were enthusiastically welcomed at Tuesday's first hearing, according to the Associated Press. The draft, first released in December, outlines more than 100 suggestions and is widely viewed as the most detailed policy effort yet on reparations.
Supporters argue the plan is needed to redress the legacy of slavery and racist policies that have disproportionately harmed black Americans in terms of poverty, health, incarceration and economic status. Reparations committee chairman Eric McDonnell said: "Financial repair is time sensitive. That is not one that can or should wait."
Critics, including political liberals, have labelled it a financial and political nightmare. They argue that Californians who never owned slaves should not have to pay people who were not enslaved. Others question the feasibility amid a tech industry downturn in Silicon Valley. A proper cost analysis has yet to be completed.
The panel's final report is expected in June, after which state lawmakers will decide on any actual measure. The reparations debate has gained momentum since the 2020 racial justice movement, with California becoming the first state to form a task force. Boston and Evanston, Illinois, have also taken steps.
Eligibility criteria include being at least 18 and having identified as black or African American in public documents for at least ten years. About 50,000 black people live in San Francisco, but the exact number eligible remains unclear.
