I’m a Californian, and I still can’t wrap my head around the idea of California being mentioned alongside slavery. I think I first noticed it during the intense protests of the Black Lives Matter movement. Back in elementary school in San Jose, I learned that California joined the Union as a free state in 1850. Yet, here we are discussing AB 2599, the Truth in Disclosure Act.
On September 30, Governor Gavin Newsom signed this new law. He described it as a requirement for major companies operating before 1965 to search their records for any ties to slavery dating back to 1849, and to make those findings public. He pointed out that this includes insurance policies on enslaved individuals who were treated as collateral for loans.
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Learning about these horrors as a child really shaped my understanding of how thoroughly dehumanizing slavery was. It’s crucial that this history is acknowledged, but there’s a significant difference between education and making history a legal obligation enforceable under penalty of perjury. This push comes at a moment when many California students, including Black students, struggle with reading and math. So, why delve into corporate records from 1849 instead of focusing on current educational issues?
I believe the goal here isn’t really about uncovering history, which historians already do, but rather about generating narratives that can be turned into grievances. Understanding White guilt is essential; it’s not merely about feelings of guilt. Many tell me they don’t experience it, and perhaps that’s because they haven’t personally engaged in wrongdoing. But as noted by my father, Shelby Steele, White guilt is about collective culpability—where all White individuals are perceived to carry the weight of the wrongs perpetrated by past generations.
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Since the 1960s, activists on the Left have used this narrative to wield power, creating a fear among many Whites of being linked to that painful history. Particularly liberal Whites desperately seek to differentiate themselves, wanting to assert, “I’m not like those racist people.”
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Black leaders recognized early the potential for Whites to act out of a desperate desire for innocence. My father has often remarked that White guilt aligns with Black power, with leaders understanding that they can gain leverage by promoting Black victimization. This dynamic enables White individuals to seek innocence through various means, including funding social programs and lowering educational standards. The trap is that both sides benefit from this ongoing cycle.
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To sustain the narrative around White guilt, Black leaders need to maintain the perception of perpetual victimhood, while Whites must remain in a position of continual guilt. As America strives for racial progress, both sides seem to be retreating to the past, looking for reasons to complain rather than celebrating advancements.
Our state is focused on historical wrongs while overlooking serious educational failings happening right now.
California’s reparations task force spearheaded AB 2599, which applies to companies earning over $100 million globally and that had any presence by the end of 1964. Once funded, these companies will have a legal obligation to sift through their records, as well as those of their parent companies, going back to 1849. They must disclose if they sold or leased slaves, used slaves as loan collateral, or insured them. The initial reporting deadline is January 15, 2029, and all results will be archived online indefinitely. Each submission will be a sworn statement, adding to the official record of grievances available for activists to reference.
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Newsom’s action to sign this law was, in a sense, a purchase of his own racial innocence, increasing calls for highlighting Black victimization. If he hadn’t signed it, he would likely have faced backlash as a protector of companies with slave ties.
This illustrates how White guilt can stifle reasonable critique. Targeted companies will admit to their predecessors’ misdeeds, seeking to absolve themselves through public displays of remorse and funding for initiatives. Few would risk the backlash that would follow opposition to a slavery disclosure requirement.
Interestingly, on the same day, Newsom vetoed a measure that would have exempted reparations from state income tax, revealing a lack of incentive for him to sacrifice state revenue when no innocence was at stake.
Meanwhile, the narrative on the other side positions Black victimization as a commodity. Democratic Assemblymember Isaac Bryan has shared his expectations of the companies that will likely report, mentioning the agricultural and financial sectors among others. He implied a direct link between the public disclosures and future actions that lawmakers may take.
If that statement carries an air of threat, it certainly reflects the underlying sentiment. Bryan is indicating that once grievances are outlined, lawmakers will determine their cost. This also suggests that the initiative is more about finding grounds for blame that can elevate the White guilt narrative and reinforce systems of Black power.
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The Left is unlikely to allow the cycle of White guilt and Black power to dissipate. Kristin Nimmers, involved with the California Black Power Network, asserted that mere compensation won’t rebuild communities and called for a more comprehensive approach. It’s a sobering thought that many of those caught in this exchange are Black children, especially as California’s recent educational assessments revealed that only 33.7% of Black students met the English standard, and just 21.5% in math.
As the state chases historical injustices, it’s disregarding pressing issues in education today. The symbiosis of White guilt and Black power doesn’t seem inclined to invest in developing the youth’s potential, preferring instead to await corporate admissions of past sins. Politically motivated individuals will hold onto these accounts as evidence of systemic racism in California and the nation.
The past will continue to cast a long shadow over the present, as if no real progress has been made. Tragically, the Black children who could have benefited from a system that truly believes in their potential will instead hear that the wrongdoings recorded in history are their primary obstacles.
