The rough estimates by economic consultants may mean that hundreds of thousands of dollars could be due to Black Californians who are descendants of enslaved ancestors. However, some politicians on the task force indicated the reparations would be a difficult case to make.
CalMatters reports that task force member and state Sen. Steven Bradford, a Democrat representing South Los Angeles, told an audience at public meetings in Los Angeles over the weekend it would be a "major hurdle" to pass any reparations plan in the Legislature.
Meeting last weekend in the California Science Center, the nine-member state-appointed group invited a team of economic experts to describe reparation ideas in financial terms. It was the group's first gathering since June, when the task force released a 500-page report on the state's history of slavery and racism.
In March the task force voted to recommend to state leaders that if California makes some form of reparations available, they should go to Black Californians who can establish lineage to enslaved ancestors.
The reparations could be in the form of cash, grants, tuition assistance, loans or other financial programs, the task force said.
The task force plans to meet again in Oakland on Dec. 14 and 15.
