作者：辛西娅·休伯特

2023年2月8日

加州州务卿雪莉·韦伯（Shirley Weber）本周在博彩平台（萨克拉门托 State）的一次演讲中表示，加州正在推进一项赔偿计划，以纠正几代人以来一直伤害黑人居民的不公正待遇。

A state task force is developing a plan that will “create an opportunity for California to lead the nation” in acknowledging harms inflicted upon Black Americans, from the dark days of slavery to ongoing discriminatory practices, Weber said Feb. 8 in the University Union Ballroom.

韦伯是前州议员，他起草了成立特别工作组的法案，该工作组计划于7月向州立法机构报告其赔偿建议。 一个新成立的机构将处理针对黑人居民的住房、就业和健康歧视等损害的赔偿要求。

“Reparations will help change our system to make it more equitable,” Weber said.

Weber’s appearance was part of the University’s 绿色和金色扬声器系列, which this year is focused on topics surrounding fairness and inclusion, equal access to resources and opportunity, and expanding human rights. The speech coincides with 囊状态’s ongoing implementation of its 反种族主义和包容性校园计划.

在她的演讲之后，第二名观众参加了一个社区论坛，讨论警察对手无寸铁的有色人种的暴力行为。 Both gatherings were led by 囊状态’s Division of 包容的卓越.

在论坛上，博彩平台的学生、教职员工和其他人分享了他们对最近警察暴力的感受，包括上个月萨克拉门托本地人泰尔·尼科尔斯（Tyre Nichols）被孟菲斯警察殴打致死。 发言者在谈到他们与警察的互动以及他们对亲人的担忧时，有时情绪激动。

“This issue is, to me, all of our issue,” said Mia Settles-Tidwell, 囊状态’s vice president for 包容的卓越. Tyre Nichols “could have been our brother, our son.”

囊状态 Police Chief Chet Madison said Memphis police committed “unspeakable acts of grave cruelty and violence” against Nichols. Their actions “angered me,” he said, and have added to the continuing tension between people of color and law enforcement officers.

The chief, who is Black, said he has been pulled over by police “multiple times” simply because of the color of his skin.

韦伯说，警察歧视是非裔美国人在美国社会处于不利地位的诸多方面之一。 她说，由于种族偏见，美国黑人获得成功和繁荣的机会更少。

Even though California “is not known as a slave state, history shows patterns of exclusion and racism,” Weber said.

Slaves were transported to California where they “worked for free,” she said. Many of their descendants “didn’t have the opportunity to receive education, get meaningful work, buy property, and accumulate wealth.” 她补充说，大规模监禁年轻黑人的情况有据可查。

韦伯承认，修复这些错误的计划是有争议的。

“But this is not about taking something away from other people,” she said. “It’s about expanding opportunity for everyone.”

“People have become wealthy because of someone else’s pain,” she said of detractors. “It’s about time that we really grapple with that issue.”