Opinion |

A tale of two Americas, east and west

Last I checked, our country is still called the United States of America. But from the perspective of Black Americans, it must feel like we’re split in two. At least, that’s my take.

On the East Coast, there is the state of Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken a series of actions that, on the surface, seem antagonistic to minorities — and especially, Black Floridians. On the West Coast, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has established a reparations task force that’s been traveling the state to learn about the generational effects of racist policies and actions on Black Californians.

Some have said both governors are pandering, in furtherance of their presidential ambitions: DeSantis to the most right-wing conservatives; Newsom to the most liberal left.

In his budget speech on Jan. 31, the eve of Black History Month, DeSantis announced that the state would ban its publicly funded universities and colleges from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programs.

The announcement came just hours before the College Board was set to unveil its new Advanced Placement African American Studies course. Eleven days earlier, on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, DeSantis rejected the course, claiming it lacks educational value and is contrary to Florida law.

The governor was referring to the Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (WOKE) Act, passed in December 2021. It builds on DeSantis’ previous action banning instruction on critical race theory in Florida’s schools. The idea is to prohibit teachers or employers from forcing discriminatory concepts on students as part of classroom instruction or on employees as a condition of keeping their jobs. Portions of the act have been blocked by a federal judge.

I’ll admit to being surprised by the College Board’s swift modifications to the AP African American Studies course, wondering if it was a move to placate DeSantis. But as I learned from one of our trainers at the National Conflict Resolution Center — who worked in a large California public school system for more than 30 years — AP courses must be uniform across the country. The AP African American Studies course, currently in its pilot phase, can only launch nationwide if colleges and universities commit to awarding college credit and placement to students who take the course and achieve qualifying AP scores. It seems unlikely the curriculum was gerrymandered.

Here in California, the reparations task force is expected to deliver its recommendations this year. But while the Florida Legislature quickly fell in line with DeSantis, it’s uncertain that the California Legislature will have the political will to make reparations a reality — as much as Newsom may want them.

The task force has already determined who should qualify: descendants of enslaved African Americans or of a free Black person living in the U.S. prior to the end of the 19^th century. Nearly 2.5 million California residents identify as African American or Black; not all would be eligible.

Now comes the hard part: deciding how reparations should be distributed — both the amount to be paid and allowable use. Some favor tuition and housing grants, while others want direct cash payments. Then there’s the matter of residency: Should an otherwise eligible person be compensated if they are living in New York?

Five categories of harm have been identified for compensation, according to New York Times economics correspondent Kurtis Lee — housing discrimination, mass incarceration, unjust property seizures, devaluation of Black-owned businesses and harm to health.

If California paves the way by compensating people for the economic legacy of slavery and racism, there is a hope that other states and federal legislators will follow suit to narrow the racial wealth gap. It’s significant: According to the most recent Federal Reserve Board Survey of Consumer Finances, median wealth of Black households in the U.S. is $24,100, compared with $188,200 for White households.

But if the 1,074 comments on Lee’s article are any indication, just the idea of reparations is fury-inducing. I only read the first 10, which raised a lot of questions, practical and philosophical. Some readers wondered whether Indigenous people deserve reparations too, for the harm they have endured — or in the case of California, whether people with Mexican lineage should be compensated, since the state was previously part of Mexico’s territory. One reader called the idea of reparations an affront to the American ideal of working hard to get ahead.

Black History Month — which celebrates the achievements of Black Americans and recalls their struggles — ends on Tuesday. The tale of two Americas reveals that the struggle continues.

Dinkin is president of the National Conflict Resolution Center, a San Diego-based group working to create solutions to challenging issues, including intolerance and incivility. To learn about NCRC’s programming, visit ncrconline.com