Inside CA reparations fight: Is an apology the beginning or the end?

What are reparations?

Reparations programs acknowledge and address harms caused by human rights violations such as slavery, segregation, or the systematic denial of fair housing, education, or employment opportunities.

The United Nations identified five components to an effective reparations plan: restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition.

The five components of reparations

Restitution: This should restore victims to their original situation before the violation occurred: restoration of liberty, reinstatement of employment, return of property.
Compensation: This should be provided for any economically assessable damage, loss of earnings, loss of property, loss of economic opportunities, moral damages.
Rehabilitation: This should include medical and psychological care, legal and social services.
Satisfaction: The injured community should feel satisfied with the actions taken. Can include public apologies, sanctions and memorials or commemorations.
Guarantees of non-repetition: This should include the cessation of continuing violations, and the promise that it won’t happen again.

Source: United Nations

Compensation could take many forms, according to scholars. They could include direct cash payments, infrastructure investments in historically underserved communities, and vouchers for housing, college or medical insurance. California’s task force also proposed hundreds of policy recommendations falling under such categories as justice and law, voting, education, health, business, and housing.