FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2025
Contact:
Hannah Naomi Jones
Live Free USA
Email: hannah@livefreeusa.org
Website: www.www.livefreeusa.org
TIME’S UP: 8,300 LETTERS URGE GOVERNOR NEWSOM TO SIGN REPARATIONS BILLS BEFORE OCTOBER 12 DEADLINE
Live Free USA calls on the Governor to turn apology into action — California is ready. Are you?
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (October 9, 2025) — The clock is running out for Governor Gavin Newsom to make history. With just days left before the October 12 deadline, more than 8,300 Californians have urged him to sign a historic set of reparations bills — a once-in-a-generation chance to move from apology to action and build the nation’s first public infrastructure for repair.
These letters — sent through a statewide campaign led by faith leaders, descendants, and community advocates — reflect a truth shared across race, region, and generation: acknowledgment without action is not repair, and apology without implementation is not justice.
This moment builds on the findings of the California Reparations Task Force, created by AB 3121, whose final report outlined the moral, legal, and economic case for repair. Its recommendations are grounded in the United Nations’ five principles of reparations: restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition.
Last year, Governor Newsom signed AB 3089 (Jones-Sawyer) — California’s formal apology for slavery — but vetoed bills that would have begun repair. He asked advocates to return with stronger, actionable policy. They did. Now those bills sit on his desk.
THE FIVE BILLS ON THE GOVERNOR’S DESK
- AB 57 (McKinnor) — Reserves 10 percent of Dream for All homeownership funds for certified descendants of enslaved Black Americans.
- AB 62 (McKinnor) — Creates a restitution process for Californians whose property was taken through racially motivated eminent domain.
- AB 7 (Bryan) — Authorizes UC, CSU, and qualifying independent colleges to consider an admissions preference for applicants who are descendants of American chattel slavery, consistent with federal law.
- SB 437 (Weber-Pierson) — Directs the California State University system to verify descendant status and build a statewide genealogy database.
- SB 518 (Weber-Pierson) — Establishes the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery within the Civil Rights Department to institutionalize verification, education, and legal support.
Together, these measures form California’s Road to Repair legislation — the nation’s first blueprint for turning apology into action and acknowledgment into law.
“This is a historic moment in the State of California and the country” said Pastor Michael McBride, Executive Director of Live Free USA.
“The next steps toward providing reparative relief for Californians impacted by slavery and its enduring vestiges have crossed a major threshold. Now Governor Newsom has the opportunity to deliver on a centuries-old promise to our communities — to move from apology to action, from symbolic justice to structural repair. Time’s up. California is ready. The only question left is: are you?”
FRIDAY ACTION: DELIVERING THE PEOPLE’S VOICE
On Friday, October 10, Live Free USA, faith leaders, descendant families, and advocates will hand-deliver more than 8,300 letters — originally submitted digitally — to the Governor’s Office at the State Capitol in Sacramento.
The event begins at 10:30 a.m. PT in Capitol Park’s Rose Garden, followed by a walk to the Governor’s Office and brief press remarks.
Media Inquiries: hannah@livefreeusa.org
WHY IT MATTERS — FOR CALIFORNIA AND THE NATION
The outcome in California will set a precedent for how America addresses repair, equity, and democracy itself.
California has long set the moral horizon for the country — from civil rights and climate justice to marriage equality and public safety reform.
If Governor Newsom signs, California will become the first state to institutionalize a reparations infrastructure grounded in international human-rights principles.
If he does not, the message will be clear: even America’s most progressive state was unwilling to act on its own apology.
“Harm cannot be repaired until it is acknowledged,” added McBride. “Healing cannot begin without providing repair to those harmed. These bills are essential to California’s Road to Repair — directly addressing the economic, social, and legal inequalities that descendants continue to face today.”
Every signature adds pressure. Every name builds momentum.
Take action now: bit.ly/passthepromise
ABOUT LIVE FREE USA
Live Free USA is a national faith-rooted movement working to end gun violence and mass incarceration, advance racial justice, and build safe, equitable communities. Founded on the belief that true public safety comes from opportunity and repair, Live Free organizes clergy and grassroots leaders to change laws, shift culture, and invest in life-affirming solutions to violence and poverty.
Learn more at www.livefreeusa.org
