California will formally apologize for slavery and its lingering effects on Black Americans in the state under a new law that the governor, Gavin Newsom, signed on Thursday.
The legislation was part of a package of reparations bills introduced this year that seek to offer compensation for decades of policies that drove racial disparities for African Americans. Newsom also approved laws to improve protections against hair discrimination for athletes and increase oversight over the banning of books in state prisons.
