On Tuesday, the NAACP San Francisco Branch tweeted a statement rejecting a reparations proposal to shell out $5 million payouts to Black adults who are descendants of enslaved people with a guaranteed annual income of at least $97,000 for 250 years. The NAACP branch opposed the idea of a cash payout in favor of “creating and funding programs that can improve the lives of those who have been impacted by racism and discrimination is the best path forward toward equality and justice.”
It’s a bit of a baffling stance because, first, a guaranteed annual income of at least $97,000 for 250 years will certainly improve the lives of many Black people, and, secondly—why not both? What’s with the “either-or” attitude when it comes to cash payouts and funding revolutionary programs? It just seems like some folks have a limited imagination when it comes to how reparations can work,
Anyway, in a statement released on Thursday, the San Francisco NAACP clarified its position on the $5 million cash payout. And by “clarified,” I really mean the branch appeared to backtrack on its rejection of the idea of reparations in the form of cold hard cash and, instead, explained that its rejection had more to do with its disbelief that the committee would follow through on that sort of promise.
The statement began with somewhat of a contradiction to the branch’s two-day-old position that the Board of Supervisors should “reject a one-time $5 million reparation payment to Blacks.” Now, the branch is saying it feels “there should be some form of cash payments in installments to each Black American according to the agreed upon qualification,” but it claims the board has already rejected the idea. (Which is weird because the NAACP was literally just calling on the board to reject the idea.)
“Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin and Budget Chairperson Supervisor Connie Chan have stated privately and openly ‘NO’ on the cash payment as…
Read the full article here
