Our country isn’t normally in the business of solving longstanding injustices, but here are some recent examples of it trying to do just that.
Arizona
- Indigenous Water Access
- Why we’re watching: As the result of longstanding unfair treatment by the U.S. government, Indigenous groups often have little to no access to clean water. Now, Arizona senators have introduced legislation allowing tribes along the Colorado River to lease water for use outside of their reservations. This is not a sufficient reform to combat this historic injustice but creating such an income stream for Indigenous groups is a good start. Other states are following suit along the Colorado River as well.
California
- Manhattan Beach
- Why we’re watching: In the 1940s, the Bruce family owned a stretch of land in California on which they operated a resort for other Black families. They endured racism and intimidation from the community until the Manhattan Beach government used eminent domain to kick them off their land. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed a law returning the land to the Bruce family, leading activists to wonder what other land reclamation efforts to pursue elsewhere – there’s certainly no shortage.
Federal
- Emmett Till Lynching
- Why we’re watching: After a 2017 discovery that Carolyn Donham lied in her testimony that ultimately led to 14-year-old Emmett Till’s lynching, the U.S. Department of Justice reopened the case. After a lengthy investigation, nobody was arrested and Till was not cleared of his supposed crime. When given the chance to rectify a longtime, infamous miscarriage of justice, our government did nothing.
- Family Separation Reparations
- Why we’re watching: Compared to the other injustices on this list, family separation is rather young. It came to light in 2018, when immigration agencies were found to have separated young children from their parents at the border, locking each up in dilapidated cages. The Biden administration has been negotiating with these families, internally settling on $450,000 as settlement. We hope the government carries through here.
Virginia
- Robert E. Lee Statue
- Why we’re watching: We’ve had it out for Confederate statues for some time now, and for good reason. They’re a terrible, racist reminder of this country’s past. Now, the city of Charlottesville will melt down a prominent Robert E. Lee statue and donate the metal to the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center to create new artwork that will “transform a national symbol of white supremacy into a new work of art that will reflect racial justice and inclusion.” We can’t wait to see it.
What do you think of the news in this week’s legislative roundup? Did we miss anything? Drop us a line on any of our social channels or hit us up through our contact us form. Let us know what’s happening in YOUR neighborhood!
