New California Bill Will Give College Priority To Descendants of Slaves
California Lawmaker Proposes Admission Priority for Descendants of Slaves at UC and CSU Amid Fallout Over Failed Reparations Legislation
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Assembly member Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) introduced a groundbreaking bill to grant admission priority at the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems for descendants of slaves.
The legislation, a first of its kind for two of the nation’s largest public university systems, comes amid heightened tensions following the failure of key reparations-related bills to move forward this session, leaving activists and supporters frustrated and seeking answers.
Bryan, a rising voice in California’s Democratic Party and a prominent advocate for equity, emphasized the moral imperative of the bill during its introduction.
“For decades, universities gave preferential admission treatment to donors and their family members while others tied to legacies of harm were ignored and at times outright excluded,” Bryan told The Associated Press. “We have a moral responsibility to do all we can to right those wrongs.”
This bill arrives at a time when the California Legislative Black Caucus opted to delay voting on other major reparations legislation until the next session.
Despite months of discussions, Black California lawmakers failed to reach consensus.
Advocates and organizations backing reparations expressed confusion and anger at what they see as a failure to capitalize on months of momentum generated by the state’s Reparations Task Force. The delay has sparked questions about the political will of lawmakers to address historical injustices with decisive action.
The bill’s introduction comes at a critical juncture for the state’s progressive policies, as lawmakers simultaneously convened a special session to address potential challenges under President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming administration.
If passed, Bryan’s legislation would mark a significant shift in California’s higher education system, which has long struggled with racial inequities in enrollment and graduation rates. While affirmative action policies were banned in the state in 1996, this bill could open a new pathway for addressing racial disparities in college admissions by focusing on historical harms.
As the legislative process unfolds, all eyes will be on Sacramento to see whether Bryan’s bill will gain traction and whether lawmakers will renew their commitment to reparations in the next session.
Read More: California bill would allow public university admission priority for slaves’ descendants
