California is increasingly structuring public policy around race, a trend critics argue mirrors South Africa's post-apartheid approach to addressing historical injustices. The state's initiatives under Governor Gavin Newsom's administration aim to advance equity, but opponents contend they embed racialism into governance.
In September 2022, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-16-22, directing state agencies to update strategic plans to "more effectively advance equity." This directive has led to state agencies conducting business with an increasing emphasis on race. The California Arts Council, for example, has used training materials that explore the "relationship between government, white supremacy culture, and racial equity practices." Similarly, the California water board promotes an "equity approach" that involves distributing resources, opportunities, and support based on specific needs rather than a colorblind model.
The state has also implemented a statewide Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum for high schools, approved in 2021 and made a graduation requirement that same year. This curriculum, influenced by Marxist theorist Paulo Freire, aims to educate students about oppression to foster "critical consciousness." Critics argue that this approach, and the curriculum's framing of the U.S. as founded on a "Eurocentric, white supremacist... paradigm," introduces racialism into classrooms.
A significant development was the creation of California's first statewide Reparations Task Force in September 2020, established by AB 3121. The task force investigated the enduring effects of slavery and racial discrimination on Black Californians. Despite California entering the Union as a free state in 1850 and its constitution prohibiting slavery, the task force proceeded with its work. In June 2023, the task force released a final report recommending a series of measures, including a "down payment" on cash reparations. Preliminary estimates suggested potential payouts could reach hundreds of thousands of dollars per recipient, with a total cost estimate of $800 billion, far exceeding the state's annual budget of approximately $350 billion.
In September 2024, Newsom signed an official apology, with the state accepting responsibility for its role in "promoting, facilitating, and permitting the institution of slavery, as well as its enduring legacy of persistent racial disparities."
Legislative efforts are underway to alter existing legal frameworks that may impede these policies. Assemblyman Corey Jackson has been a proponent of ACA 7, a proposed constitutional amendment that would potentially limit the scope of Proposition 209, which prohibits racial discrimination in public programs. This push has met with opposition, with Republican state Sen. Steven Choi emphasizing constitutional protections against differential treatment.
Critics draw parallels between California's current trajectory and South Africa's experience since 2011, citing declines in GDP per capita, infrastructure deterioration, and high unemployment rates in that country. They argue that once a government adopts race-based policies, it tends to further entrench them.
Governor Newsom has, at times, vetoed reparations-related bills, citing budgetary and legal constraints, and potentially due to voter unpopularity. However, the establishment of the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery, a permanent agency tasked with administering reparations programs, is seen by some as ensuring the continuation of these race-based initiatives regardless of future gubernatorial decisions.
The authors of the source material suggest that these policies, which they characterize as "racialist," are destined to fail in California as they have in South Africa, asserting that government intervention cannot equalize real-world outcomes. They also note that policies originating in California often influence other states and federal proposals, advocating for a rejection of such race-conscious approaches based on the principle of equality.