Newsom Chooses Billionaires Over Black Working Families
Photo Credit: Jeff Chiu/AP
Black Californians work multiple jobs but still can't afford rent. They have structural unemployment rates twice that of white workers. They own one-tenth the wealth of white families. Governor Newsom made sure this stays exactly the same—vetoing reparations bills while protecting California's 194 billionaires who hoard $1.2 trillion in stolen wealth.
On Monday October 13th, Newsom vetoed critical reparations bills that would have provided real pathways to economic justice for Black Californians—bills for college admissions preferences, first-time homebuyer assistance, and investigations into racially motivated property theft. His message was clear: California billionaires like Gordon Getty and Netflix’s Reed Hastings who fund his campaigns get tax breaks and bailouts, but the descendants of enslaved people who built this state's economy with stolen labor get studies and excuses.
The Democratic Party's Record of Betrayal
Newsom's veto continues the Democratic Party's track record of tossing Black Californians empty gestures instead of securing their full economic equality and justice. They are the same party that has controlled California with a supermajority for decades, while Black Californians have become 7% of the population but 30% of the homeless. The same party whose leading lights fought to preserve prison slavery for 61,100 incarcerated people, disproportionately Black and brown. The same party celebrating the “free market” as Wall Street firms like BlackRock buy up entire neighborhoods where Black families once lived, driving up rents and displacing communities.
Black Californians have a median household wealth of just $17,600—one-tenth that of white families. They have faced higher, structural unemployment rates for decades. In Los Angeles County, for example, African American unemployment reaches 20%, with some neighborhoods like Crenshaw seeing 22% Black unemployment. They are systematically locked out of homeownership while corporate landlords profit from their desperation. The exploitation of working-class Black Californians is a deliberate political choice. Newsom's vetoes guarantee this wealth theft will continue.
Black working families aren't just facing economic exploitation—they're being told their generations of stolen labor, stolen land, and stolen wealth don't matter. They're being made to feel powerless while watching the ultra-rich profit off their struggles. This isn't just about money—it's about dignity, respect, and having real power in the system.
Socialist Solutions vs. Democratic Excuses
Ramsey speaks at the Socialism Conference in Los Angeles, May 2022
Democrats promised change—then served Wall Street. For 58 years, the Peace and Freedom Party has built working-class power, refused corporate money, and organized abandoned communities. The Peace and Freedom Party has endorsed Ramsey Robinson, as their 2026 candidate for California’s Governor. While Newsom makes excuses, Ramsey’s "End the War on Black America" platform comes from working people fighting for liberation, not the billionaire boardrooms of Oracle or Sequoia Capital.
FULL REPARATIONS: Direct cash payments funded by taxing billionaires who built fortunes exploiting generations of Black labor and denying futures.
COMMUNITY POWER: A State Department of Anti-Discrimination run by elected leaders from oppressed communities with real authority to strike down racist laws in housing, policing, education, and employment. Black leaders will join with other oppressed communities to stop racist, sexist, homophobic laws and secure equality for all Californians.
END THE HOUSING DIVIDE: Ban corporate landlords like BlackRock from owning California homes. The people demand statewide rent control, eviction protection, and 1.4 million units of public housing. No more Wall Street speculation in Black neighborhoods.
ECONOMIC EQUALITY: $30/hour minimum wage jobs with full union rights for every worker, regardless of status. Black workers are long-time labor organizing champions—we'll help all California workers follow their lead. Union jobs provide Black workers with the job security and economic power they've been systematically denied—when Black workers organize alongside white, Latino, and Asian workers, it breaks down the racist attitudes billionaires use to divide us and drive down wages for everyone. Studies prove that when white workers join unions with Black and brown workers, their support for policies benefiting Black Americans increases significantly, and their racial resentment drops. That's exactly why corporate bosses spend millions union-busting—they know that organized workers standing together across racial lines can beat their wealth-extracting system. When we break poverty wages and union-busting, all workers win.
The Time for Power is Now
Democrats offer apologies and studies—Newsom signed a reparations "study" bill while vetoing actual reparations. Black Californians don't need more studies. We need power to control the wealth our labor creates.
The war on Black America is a war on the entire working class. The same billionaires gentrifying Black neighborhoods keep all workers from unionizing. The same Wall Street firms buying Black communities drive up rents for Latino, Asian, and white working families. When they divide us with racism, corporate power wins. When we unite for Black liberation, all workers win.
Register Peace and Freedom Party today—Black liberation can't wait for Democrats to choose working people over billionaires.
Get involved to build Black economic power and justice, not empty Democratic promises.
Donate to the only campaign not funded by Wall Street—our liberation can't be bought by our oppressors.
The choice is simple: Let Democrats serve billionaire donors while Black families struggle, or build a socialist movement putting working people in power. Our enemies divide us with racism because they know a united working-class power beats them.
Join us. The time for Democratic Party excuses is over. The time for building people power is now.
