California lawmaker says bill would give admission priority at public university to descendants of slaves

A California lawmaker will introduce a bill that would give descendants of slaves priority for admission to the two largest public university systems in the state.

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, a Democrat who represents parts of Los Angeles, told The Associated Press he will introduce the bill as lawmakers meet in Sacramento to swear in new members for a new legislative session. Bryan said universities have given admission priority to certain applicants for decades, which benefited mostly donors and their families. 

“For decades universities gave preferential admission treatment to donors and their family members, while others tied to legacies of harm were ignored and at times outright excluded,” he said. “We have a moral responsibility to do all we can to right those wrongs.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Bryan’s office. The move comes as the incoming Trump administration is expected to limit diversity, equity and inclusion programs. 

The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed affirmative action last year in college admissions. By banning affirmative action but allowing legacy preferences, which favor the children of alumni and donors, critics say the court left admissions even more lopsided against students of color.

“There is a growing understanding of California’s role in perpetuating the inequalities that arose from slavery, and there’s a willingness to try to rectify that harm, to heal that harm,” said Bryan.

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Under the bill, the descendants of slaves would be given admission priority to the University of California and California State University systems. In 2023, Black students made up about 4% of the California State University’s student population and about 4.7% at the University of California, according to the university systems’ latest reports.

The proposal follows an effort to pay reparations to the descendants of slaves in California despite the state never having allowed slavery. In September, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law to formally apologize for the state’s legacy of racism and discrimination against Black residents, but reparations efforts have yielded mixed results. 

Lawmakers were also meeting in a special session to consider ways to protect the state’s progressive policies ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. Trump has promised to rein in “wokeness” in schools and heavily criticized the Department of Education. 

He has criticized the department and called for it to be dismantled.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.