Gavin Newsom Launches ‘Racial Equity Commission’ to Follow Up Reparations Committee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) issued an executive order Tuesday to establish a “Racial Equity Commission” to tackle the issue of “structural racism” in the deep-blue, liberal state.

The order follows the recommendations of the state’s task force on reparations for slavery earlier this year, which recommended not only cash payments but also the establishment of racially segregated schools, described as “described as “African American/American Freedmen owned and controlled” institutions.

Newsom’s new order is based on the same enabling legislation that created the reparations committee, known as SB 17. The law defines “racial equity” as “efforts to ensure race can no longer be used to predict life outcomes well-being, outcomes, and conditions for all groups.” It also defines “structural racism” as “the social forces, institutions, ideologies, and processes and programs that interact with one another to generate and reinforce inequities among racial and ethnic groups.”

The eleven members of the Racial Equity Commission are to serve two-year terms, with the governor appointing seven of the members. Two others will be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and the remaining two by the Assembly speaker.

Membership on the committee is virtually limited to members of left-wing ideological organizations — those who are “a member of, or represent an equity-focused organization who works with … an impacted community.”

Despite Proposition 209, which prevents the use of race in public employment, SB 17 says that the Racial Equity Commission members must “reflect the cultural, ethnic, racial, linguistic, sexual orientation, gender, immigration status, gender identity, immigrant experience, socioeconomic, age, disability, and geographical diversity of the state.” Their goal is to produce a “Racial Equity Framework” for the state by the end of 2024 and no later than April 1 — April Fool’s Day — in the year 2025.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.