SACRAMENTO, CA—Today, the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) proudly announces the signing of Senate Bill 518 (Weber Pierson), a historic achievement establishing the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery and continuing the recognition and healing for the savagery of forced human slavery in the United States.
California Leads, Yet Again
This first-in-the-nation law marks a historic and transformative moment for California, representing a bold commitment to advancing reparative justice and building lasting systems of equity for the scores of slavery descendants whose sacrifices made possible the prosperity of the Golden State.
With Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature, California becomes the first state in the union to move beyond acknowledgment and begin building lasting, institutional pathways toward institutional and economic parity.
“This law reflects a critical acknowledgment of the historic injustices that have shaped the Black experience in California and across this country,” said CLBC Chair Senator Weber Pierson, M.D. “For generations, Black Americans have faced exclusion, exploitation, and systemic barriers to opportunity. With SB 518, we lay the foundation for a future built on truth, equity, and repair”
SB 518 creates the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery, the first ever permanent state agency dedicated to advancing reparative initiatives. The Bureau is charged with, among other things, confirming descendancy, public education and outreach, and reparative program coordination. By enacting this measure, California turns study and recommendations into lasting systems designed to serve future generations.
Promise Made, Promise Kept
Governor Newsom, the California Legislative Black Caucus, and their legislative colleagues continue to take significant steps to address structural disparity in California. Together, California's leaders have established universal transitional kindergarten, college and career savings accounts for children, mandated equity analyses for state agencies, and made a historic investment in school equity through the Equity Multiplier.
They’ve strengthened the California Civil Rights Department, taken action to address maternal health and mortality, created the nation’s first Ebony Alert system for missing Black children and young women, used executive action to place a moratorium on the death penalty, enacted the strongest use-of-force laws in the country, ending the use of the carotid restraint, and increased transparency for peace officer misconduct records—all of which statistically disproportionately impacts Black Californians and people of color in our state.
"California is not just confronting the past. We are investing in the future,” said Senator Weber Pierson, M.D. “With SB 518, we have created a model for how states can move from study to structure, from intention to action. This is about building something permanent that honors the truth and restores dignity to the descendants of those who endured generations of injustice,” said Weber Pierson.
SB 518 represents a new model for justice that recognizes the impact of systemic harm and begins to repair it through policy and structure. In establishing a dedicated Bureau, California yet again sets a precedent and sends a clear message: real justice requires not only recognition, but commitment, infrastructure, and accountability.
# # #