On Oct. 13, Governor Gavin Newsom was presented with Assembly Bill 7, which gave California colleges, both private and public, explicit permission to prioritize admission of applicants who are descendants of slaves, if they chose to do so.
Newsom vetoed the bill. In his letter to the California assembly, he reasoned that the bill is unnecessary because colleges and universities in California already have the power to consider ancestors’ enslavement in admissions.
The bill was part of a larger body of bills presented by lawmakers and advocates meant to kickstart reparative justice towards black Californians.
The veto on AB 7 has gone mostly unnoticed among the SDSU population. However, those who found out had opinions almost immediately.
Bailey Johnson, a first year marine biology pre-vet major, agreed with the veto.
“I do believe that because in the past, African American students were able to get into most universities and schools, so I guess I do agree,” she said.
Isabella Munoz, a masters student in civil engineering, gave her opinion as someone from out-of-state, “I’m not really familiarized, because I’m not from here, from what it sounds, I would disagree.”
One student gave a strongly critical opinion.
Eric Jackson, a junior in mechanical engineering disagreed with the veto, saying it is something he doesn’t stand for.
“Why would somebody want to work with someone who agrees with slavery?” he said.
Some advocates and lawmakers are optimistic about the results, seeing vetoes like that for AB 7 as small defeats in an overall victory. This includes Senator Akilah Weber Pierson, who authored the bill that designated a bureau to aid in structured reparations, which Newsom passed. She said that the signed bills are significant wins and remarked “you never get everything you want,” when referring to vetoed bills like AB 7.
Others are more critical, believing it to be a missed opportunity for California colleges to maintain their black student populations. This includes Prof. Anthony Merritt, assistant professor for the department of Africana studies at SDSU, who noted the effects of affirmative action being struck down in California.
“I’ve watched over the years, since I’ve been here, that the enrollment of African American students has steadily declined,” he said.
This parallels a finding by the NAACP, which shows a more than 50% reduction in colored students at the state’s top universities since affirmative action was overturned. Merritt states that the governor doesn’t seem to understand that California colleges risk litigation if they factor race in admissions.
Chair and Associate Professor of the Department of Africana Studies at SDSU, Prof. Adisa A. Alkebulan, said that Newsom’s veto leaves California state universities uncertain with how to implement reparations.
“But beyond that, I don’t see that there is any CSU system-wide, you know, policy on reparations,” he said.
He further criticizes Governor Newsom and the California Democratic Party for their stance on reparations, saying it has softened compared to five years ago.
