Reparations for Berkeley African-Americans

The City of Berkeley has not issued an official apology to African American or Black residents for historical or systemic racism. In 2022, the Berkeley City Council initiated a process—championed by Councilmember Ben Bartlett (with support from Mayor Jesse Arreguín and others)—to explore making economic reparations for Black residents. The first approved phase involved hiring a consultant to host community meetings and develop policy recommendations. However, there is no apology included in that action.

DRAFT: City of Berkeley Apology and Commitment to Reparations for African American Residents

WHEREAS, the City of Berkeley acknowledges that African Americans and their descendants have endured centuries of enslavement, segregation, redlining, and systemic racism in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Berkeley itself—despite its reputation for progressivism—was not immune from these injustices, and in fact perpetuated them through policies and practices such as:

· The redlining and housing discrimination that denied Black families equal access to mortgages and homeownership opportunities in Berkeley neighborhoods from the 1930s onward;

· Exclusionary zoning and restrictive covenants that confined African American residents to West and South Berkeley, creating segregated communities and limiting wealth-building opportunities;

· The use of eminent domain and urban renewal projects in the 1960s and 1970s that displaced Black families and businesses, particularly in South and West Berkeley;

· Discriminatory policing practices that targeted African American youth and adults disproportionately, causing harm that continues to echo through families and communities; and

WHEREAS, the effects of these policies remain evident in today’s racial wealth gap, disparities in homeownership, health, education, and incarceration rates among Black residents of Berkeley; and

WHEREAS, the City of San Francisco in February 2024 formally apologized to African American residents for decades of systemic and structural discrimination, and the City of Evanston, Illinois in 2021 became the first U.S. city to implement a reparations program by providing housing grants to eligible Black residents harmed by discriminatory policies; and

WHEREAS, the State of California’s Reparations Task Force in 2023 recommended that the state issue a formal apology alongside material reparations, acknowledging California’s role in enforcing racial oppression; and

WHEREAS, Berkeley—long home to civil rights struggles and the Black Panther Party’s organizing—has a moral responsibility to not only acknowledge its own history but also take leadership in repair and redress;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:

1. The City of Berkeley formally apologizes to its African American residents, past and present, for its role in perpetuating and upholding systemic racism, housing segregation, economic exclusion, and discriminatory policing.

2. The City of Berkeley acknowledges this apology is not sufficient alone, but is a necessary first step toward meaningful reparative action.

3. The City commits to advancing a Berkeley Reparations Framework that includes:

o Community engagement sessions led by Black residents and organizations;

o Development of policy recommendations for housing assistance, educational equity, business support, and health investments targeted to African American communities;

o Exploration of funding sources, including progressive taxation mechanisms and partnerships with philanthropic institutions;

o Consideration of models pioneered by Evanston’s housing reparations and San Francisco’s apology framework as guides.

4. The City Clerk is directed to transmit this resolution to the California Reparations Task Force, to the City of San Francisco, and to the City of Evanston, as an expression of Berkeley’s solidarity in the national reparations movement.

Closing Statement for Public Release

"With this resolution, Berkeley acknowledges its past, apologizes for the harms caused, and commits to a future rooted in equity, justice, and repair. We join sister cities like San Francisco and Evanston in affirming that reparations are both a moral imperative and a practical necessity to undo the harms of racism."