On Tuesday (Feb. 27), the San Francisco Board of Directors issued a formal apology to Black residents for decades of racist policies. According to The Associated Press, all 11 board members voted unanimously for the decision.

“This historic resolution apologizes on behalf of San Francisco to the African American community and their descendants for decades of systemic and structural discrimination, targeted acts of violence, [and] atrocities as well as committing to the rectification and redress of past policies and misdeeds," said Shamann Walton, the only Black member of the board. "We have much more work to do, but this apology most certainly is an important step." According to the resolution, California has joined eight other states in apologizing for slavery.

It is the first reparations recommendation out of 100 reparations-related proposals made by a city committee to win approval. As REVOLT previously reported, the San Francisco African American Reparations Advisory Committee is seeking $5 million and total debt forgiveness for every Black resident that has lived in the city for at least 10 years and is at least 18 years old.

"A lump sum payment would compensate the affected population... and will redress the economic and opportunity losses that Black San Franciscans have endured, collectively, as the result of both intentional decisions and unintended harms perpetuated by city policy,” read a draft of the proposal. "While neither San Francisco, nor California, formally adopted the institution of chattel slavery, the tenets of segregation, white supremacy and systematic repression and exclusion of Black people were codified through legal and extralegal actions, social codes and judicial enforcement."

The document continued, "Black households are more likely to hold costlier, riskier debt and are more likely to have outstanding student loan debt. When this is combined with lower household incomes, it can create an inescapable cycle of debt. Eliminating this debt gives Black households an opportunity to build wealth."