California Assemblyman Isaac Bryan plans to introduce legislation that will give admission priority to the descendants of slaves in both the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems. This effort will try to address the historical inequities by making a positive step toward restorative justice in higher education.
Bryan, a Los Angeles Democrat, made the move ahead of a new session in Sacramento. The plan aligns with recommendations by California’s Black Reparations Task Force and fits in with a broader push to repair systemic injustices.
“For decades, universities gave preferential admission treatment to donors and their family members while ignoring those tied to legacies of harm,” Bryan said. “We have a moral responsibility to right those wrongs.
The move takes place amidst a national reckoning over diversity policies. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last year banning affirmative action in college admissions highlighted disparities, in particular, the continued allowance of legacy preferences, that often favor white, rich applicants, critics say continue the inequality against students of color.
University data indicates that in the year 2023, black students made up only 4% of CSU, while they comprised only 4.7% of UC. Changing such numbers and recognizing these as long-term effects of racial discrimination, the Bill has decided to give favor to the descendants of the slaves.
This is part of the broader reparations efforts in California. While California’s Governor Gavin Newsom did sign a formal apology for the state’s history of racism, attempts by lawmakers to create reparations programs and to reclaim Blacks’ unjustly seized property have found roadblocks.
Reparations are much more than monetary compensation, said Bryan. “There has to be a restorative process to repair some of the harm that resulted from slavery and the policies after that, which require addressing systemic inequality.”
The bill would go a long way in addressing racial inequalities in higher education at a time when increasing political opposition against diversity initiatives is affecting other states.
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