2026 marks the 30th anniversary of Proposition 209. Prop 209’s historic passage in California codified the state’s constitutional guarantee of equal protection and spurred a civil rights movement leading to the successes of similar initiatives in nine other states. But Prop. 209 is under attack again in the California Legislature, with fast progress made by ACA 7—a partial repeal of Prop. 209’s education provisions. This hyper-partisan and ideologically motivated proposal stands in stark contrast to a growing public consensus for equality as well as federal policy reforms. At our fourth annual conference, CFER will bring together experts, reformers, elected officials, and advocates to celebrate 30 years of Prop. 209 and raise awareness about the attacks against it. We will unpack different layers of policies, narratives, and reforms pertaining to legislative challenges to Prop. 209 and equality. We will also discuss strategies in voter education, advocacy, media, and grassroots organizing.

Currently, many of the assaults on Prop. 209 are framed in the language of reparations. Ever since the creation of a statewide taskforce “to study and develop reparation proposals for African Americans,” the Golden State has led a national movement on reparations. In this most recent legislative session, the California Legislature Black Caucus has promoted its “Road to Repair” package of 16 reparations-themed bills, some of which were codified in 2025 and some were vetoed by the Governor. Now, before the State Legislature enters its summer recess, progressive lawmakers are pushing through the rest of the package:

· AB 801, proposing for the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation to identity and address “ongoing mortgage lending discrimination,” will be decided in the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 30th. · ACA 7, the partial repeal of Prop. 209 in its education-related provisions, has been amended to appear on the 2028 state ballot, which allows the State Senate more time to vote on the proposal.

While proponents of reparations often justify their position as a “just” and “moral” one to “right historic wrongs,” everything about reparations in reality is about handing out government favors based on race and color! As Senator Akilah Weber-Pierson stated on the record during a committee hearing,

Race neutral is not working for everyone. This [ACA 7] allows California, as was stated, to have more tools in their tool belt, which was snatched away after Prop. 209…Brown v. Board of Education was not about letting us all get together. It was about resources. It was about the fact that schools black and poor people went to should not get second- or third-hand materials.

Or in the words of Assemblymember Corey Jackson, “If there are groups that are falling through the cracks, we need the ability to rescued them. That’s all the Black Caucus is asking for us to do.”

If you find such rhetoric overtly politicized and divisive, you are not alone. CFER has been fightingagainst race-based reparations since 2022, which is why we are so encouraged by the participation of the U.S. Department of Justice in a lawsuit against housing reparations in the Evanston, Illinois. We will proactively seek collaboration and support from the Federal Government to help expose and challenge various reparations schemes in California.

As we continue to raise awareness on the importance of Prop. 209 and the attacks against it, notably ACA 7, CFER will host a panel discussion on reparations at our upcoming conference on July 24-25 in Orange County. CFER Executive Vice President Gail Professor will lead the discussion. If you have not signed up to attend, please RSVP today (one-day passes available).

See you next month!