DRAFT COMBINED BILL PACKET

REPARATIVE JUSTICE ACT FOR BLACK AMERICAN DESCENDANTS OF CHATTEL SLAVERY

 

Table of Contents:

  1. Cover Page

  2. Legislative Summary

  3. Section 1: Findings and Intent

  4. Section 2: Educational Justice Program

  5. Section 3: Black American Genealogical Research Fund

  6. Section 4: Indigenous Language and Cultural Restoration

  7. Section 5: Implementation and Oversight

  8. Section 6: Funding Provisions

  9. Appendices

    • Appendix A: Historical Context

    • Appendix B: Suggested Partner Institutions

    • Appendix C: Example Projects

    • Appendix D: Supporting Research and Citations

 

 REPARATIVE JUSTICE ACT FOR BLACK AMERICAN DESCENDANTS OF CHATTEL SLAVERY

Sponsor(s): BEPARECOZA
beparecozavpn@gmail.com
(206)306-6193
beparecoza.net

Bill Number: (To be assigned upon submission)

Date: (To be assigned)

Jurisdiction: Washington State Legislature

 

 

 Legislative Summary

This Act introduces a two-pronged reparative justice initiative for Black American citizens also referred to as African Americans those who are descendants of enslaved Africans. The Act establishes:

  1. A tuition-free higher education program acknowledging the historical impact the of 19th century anti-literacy laws, the late 19th and early 20th century Jim Crow laws and the resulting segregated education system that implemented a system of systemic exclusion and disadvantages for African Americans.  These policies played a significant role in shaping the educational landscape for African Americans, contributing to the achievement gap and high illiteracy rate that persists today.

  2. A dedicated fund to support the restoration of family histories and cultural identities stolen through chattel slavery and linguistic genocide; the systematic erasure of ancestral languages and the cultural heritage they carry. This initiative aims to reconnect descendants of the enslaved with their Bantu African roots by investing in genealogical research, linguistic revitalization, and cultural education.

 

SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND INTENT

  1. The United States, including the State of Washington, has systematically excluded and disenfranchised Black American citizens; particularly descendants of enslaved Africans, through enslavement, anti-literacy laws, Jim Crow segregation, redlining, inequitable public education funding, and exclusionary policies perpetuated during the presidency of Woodrow Wilson.

  2. These policies contributed to high illiteracy rates and had lasting intergenerational impacts on educational access and attainment.

  3. Therefore, due to theses injustices perpetrated on the enslaved African by the US government such as the anti-literacy laws, policies enacted during chattel slavery that systematically denied them education, it should not be the burden of the descendants who are holders of this legacy of illiteracy, to fund their own redress. The obligation lies with the government that imposed the barriers.

  4. It is the intent of the Legislature to mandate and fund programs that provide tuition-free higher education and cultural restoration to eligible Black American citizens.

 

SECTION 2. EDUCATIONAL JUSTICE PROGRAM

  1. Establish a tuition-free higher education program for Black American citizens who are descendants of enslaved Africans in the U.S.

  2. Eligibility will be based on documented ancestral lineage, community verification, or qualifying last names linked to the U.S. slavery system.

  3. Partner with Washington State colleges and universities to offer equitable access.

  4. Funding shall be administered through the Washington Student Achievement Council.

 

SECTION 3. BLACK AMERICAN GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH FUND

  1. Establish a public fund to assist eligible Black American citizens in recovering family lineages disrupted by slavery.

  2. Services may include: genealogical research, DNA testing, historical archive access, and travel stipends.

  3. Partnerships with African American history centers, genealogical institutions, and national archives will be developed.

 

SECTION 4. INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL RESTORATION

  1. Fund programs that support Black American citizens in reclaiming indigenous African languages and traditions lost due to forced cultural assimilation.

  2. Support degree pathways in African linguistics at Washington colleges.

  3. Establish community-based language immersion and restoration programs.

 

SECTION 5. IMPLEMENTATION AND OVERSIGHT

  1. The Department of Equity will oversee the implementation.

  2. An advisory council of historians, educators, and community representatives will guide program development.

  3. Annual reporting and audits will ensure transparency.

 

SECTION 6. FUNDING PROVISIONS

  1. Initial funding will come from the state general fund and may include grants, federal reparative programs, and philanthropic partnerships.

  2. Additional appropriations will be reviewed biennially.

 

 APPENDICES

Appendix A: Historical Context and Legacy

Anti-Literacy Laws (Pre–Civil War Era)

Anti-literacy laws were laws passed during the 18th and 19th centuries that made it illegal to teach enslaved African Americans to read or write. These laws were designed to:

·         Prevent rebellion and escape by limiting communication and access to abolitionist materials.

·         Enforce social control by keeping enslaved people dependent and powerless.

·         Suppress empowerment, as literacy was seen as a pathway to freedom, critical thinking, and civil rights.

Punishments for violating these laws ranged from fines and imprisonment to violent retaliation. Despite this, many enslaved people secretly taught themselves and others to read and write, often at great personal risk.

 

Jim Crow Laws (Late 19th – Mid 20th Century)

Jim Crow laws were a set of state and local statutes enacted primarily in the American South between the late 1800s and 1960s that enforced racial segregation and systemic discrimination after the end of Reconstruction. These laws:

·         Mandated segregation in schools, transportation, restaurants, restrooms, and other public facilities.

·         Denied Black Americans the right to vote through poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses.

·         Upheld white supremacy under the guise of "separate but equal" (sanctioned by the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision).

·         Criminalized minor infractions and disproportionately targeted Black citizens for incarceration and forced labor.

Jim Crow policies institutionalized racism and contributed to economic, educational, and political disenfranchisement for generations of Black Americans. These laws began to be dismantled during the Civil Rights Movement, culminating in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Jim Crow Laws: Mo Money Fo US

“Jim Crow” was the stage name of a popular minstrel performer named Thomas “Daddy” Rice, who smeared himself with black makeup and ridiculed Black people for an appreciative white audience. The name Jim Crow was adopted to represent a system of American Laws that were enacted after the Civil War for the purpose of controlling the “emancipated” ex slave.  The term Jim Crow is used to soften the reality of a truly vicious  and widespread American system of reconstituted slavery laws, whose aim was not to keep Blacks from using “white” drinking fountains and toilets or even to stop them from breaking the law; but to keep Blacks from accumulating property, starting businesses, engaging in trade and commerce, and establishing an economic base independent of white people. The functional intent was to force Blacks back onto the cotton plantations, which desperately needed their labor after the end of slavery.” (How White Folks Got So Rich- The Untold Story of American White Supremacy by Reclamation Project 2012)

Appendix B: Suggested Partner Institutions

  • University of Washington (Linguistics Dept.)

  • City University of Seattle

  • Seattle Colleges (North, Central, South)

Appendix C: Example Projects

  • Black American Genealogy Bootcamp

  • African Language Reclamation Workshops

  • Cultural Name Restoration Ceremonies

Appendix D: Supporting Research and Citations

National Archives — Anti‑Literacy Laws & Racial Education Policies

 

UNESCO — Linguistic Genocide

  • UNESCO’s documentation on language preservation and the concept of "linguistic genocide" can be found by searching “UNESCO endangered languages genocide.” Here's an authoritative starting page:
    →     https://en.unesco.org/themes/endangered-languages

 

Academic Journals — Reparations & Educational Equity

  • International Journal of Educational Development
    “The Case for Educational Reparations: Addressing Racial Injustices in SDG 4” by Walker et al. (2023)     archives.govmjpa.umich.eduresearchwithrutgers.com+1theguardian.com+1
    → Available via academic libraries or DOI lookup: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102933

  • University of California Press (DeGruyter)
    Educational Inequities and the Case for Reparations — a chapter in The Black Reparations Project (2023)     researchwithrutgers.comdegruyter.com
    →     https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520383821-006

  • MDPI Education Sciences
    “Educational Facials”: A Healing Tool for the Beautiful Struggle — a 2024 piece in a special issue on Racial Equity     reddit.com+3degruyter.com+3reddit.com+3mdpi.com+1researchwithrutgers.com+1
    → Accessible open-access on MDPI’s site

  • Journal of Negro Education
    A longstanding quarterly journal focused on Black education research.     en.wikipedia.org
    → http://jne.howard.edu

  • The Race Gap ( King County, Washington) 10/2020 file:///E:/the-race-gap%20(1).pdf - “Across the lifespan, Black residents in King County face systemic racism and disadvantages that disproportionately impact physical, mental and social health as well as the educational and economic opportunities of Black communities. Public Health – Seattle & King County is committed to working in stronger and better-resourced partnerships with community organizations and leaders to disrupt and dismantle racism. We recognize that historically and currently, King County has been complicit in maintaining and perpetuating structural racism, and that as an institution we must be a vital player in dismantling oppressive systems that are grounded in white supremacy. This data serves as a foundation to build upon and invest resources, programs, and policies as we continue our journey towards transformation.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BILL DRAFT REPARATIVE JUSTICE FOR DRC MINING- IMPACTED COMMUNITIES ACT

AN ACT Relating to reparative measures for Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) communities affected by cobalt mining; creating oversight and accountability frameworks for Washington-based corporations; and establishing pathways of relief for Congolese immigrants displaced by corporate supply chain harms.

 

SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND INTENT

The Legislature finds that:

  1. The DRC supplies over 70% of the world’s cobalt—used in lithium-ion batteries for smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles—with extraction conducted amid documented human rights abuses, including child labor, forced labor, unsafe working conditions, environmental degradation, and community displacement gla.ac.uk+8abcnews.go.com+8en.wikipedia.org+8.

  2. Despite plaintiffs’ claims that some U.S. tech companies “knowingly benefitted” from forced and child labor, courts have largely held them not legally liable—citing their indirect “buyer-seller” relationships loc.gov+2en.wikipedia.org+2abcnews.go.com+2.

  3. Scholarly reviews highlight the limitations of corporate self-monitoring through “audit-washing”—social audits that fail to prevent labor abuses cecc.gov+2congress.gov+2harvardlawreview.org+2.

  4. Washington-based corporations—especially major technology firms—have a moral and economic responsibility to ensure transparent and ethical supply chains, given the human and environmental toll behind the cobalt in their products.

  5. Several international and national bills (e.g., U.S. COBALT Supply Chain Act) have begun to address forced labor and transparency—but states must also act where federal law falls short loc.gov+3congress.gov+3harvardlawreview.org+3.

  6. Among the affected populations are Congolese immigrants who have relocated to Washington—victims of displacement, violence, or repression linked to illegal mining operations and corporate-backed land grabs. According to recent advocacy, they should be considered for Temporary Protected Status and reparative assistance .

Therefore, the Legislature intends to:

  • Prevent unjust enrichment by Washington-based corporations through exploitation.

  • Establish state-level supply chain due diligence and transparency standards.

  • Create a Reparations & Support Fund for Congolese immigrants displaced by mining-related abuses.

  • Promote partnerships with DRC-based NGOs to support community health, education, and land restoration.

SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS

For purposes of this Act:

(a) “Covered corporation” = Washington-registered or headquartered businesses that source cobalt—including in smartphones, EVs, laptops, tools, or energy storage.

(b) “DRC-affected individual” = a Congolese national who can demonstrate displacement, forced migration, injury, loss of livelihood, or persecution tied to cobalt mining operations.

(c) “Supply chain transparency report” = audited, publicly available disclosures tracing cobalt origins, labor conditions, remediation efforts, and third-party verifications.

 

SECTION 3. CORPORATE DUE DILIGENCE & TRANSPARENCY OBLIGATIONS

(a) Effective two years from enactment, covered corporations must:

  1. Publish annual Supply Chain Transparency Reports, including:

    • Provenance of cobalt (direct mine, processor, artisanal)

    • Evidence of human rights and environmental due diligence audits

    • Remediation steps and investments in community welfare programs

  2. If audits show forced labor, child labor, or egregious abuses, corporations must commit:

    • ≥ 2% of Washington-sourced cobalt revenue annually

    • Funds directed to a Swiss model-style DRC Reparations & Resilience Fund (RC-RF)

  3. Non-compliance penalties:

    • Up to 1% of net revenue per quarter of late/false reporting

    • Public disclosure of enforcement actions

 

SECTION 4. DRC REPARATIONS & RESILIENCE FUND

(a) Fund established within Washington State Treasury.

(b) Administered by the Office of African and Global Affairs in collaboration with:

  • DRC-based NGOs, civil society, traditional leaders

  • Washington-based Congolese diaspora representatives

(c) Fund uses include:

  1. Direct financial assistance, mental health services, legal aid, or resettlement support for DRC-affected individuals now residing in Washington.

  2. Grants to community groups in the DRC focused on:

    • Mine-site remediation

    • Health and education

    • Sustainable small-scale agriculture

  3. Oversight by an advisory board of DRC advocates and mining-affected community representatives.

(d) Eligibility verification based on:

  • Displacement proof, tribal affiliation, NGO documentation, or refugee/resettlement status

 

SECTION 5. ENFORCEMENT & OVERSIGHT

(a) Washington State Auditor will randomly audit reports. Discovered misconduct triggers financial penalties and mandatory public remediation statements.

(b) Violations may be enforced through administrative hearings and civil penalties.

(c) Covered corporations shall establish permanent Community Liaison Offices in Washington to maintain dialogues with affected Congolese residents.

(d) Legislative mandate for an annual public impact report on:

  • Compliance rates

  • Fund disbursement totals and recipients (confidential as needed)

  • Community and environmental outcomes in DRC

 

SECTION 6. IMPLEMENTATION & EFFECTIVE DATE

(a) The Office of African and Global Affairs has a 12-month implementation window post-enactment to issue rules, data procedures, and corporate outreach plans.

(b) The Act takes effect January 1, 2026.

 

SECTION 7. SEVERABILITY

If any clause is found invalid, remaining provisions remain in full force.

 

Appendix (Suggested)

LOI SUR LA JUSTICE RÉPARATRICE POUR LES COMMUNAUTÉS TOUCHÉES PAR L’EXPLOITATION MINIÈRE EN RDC

Page de Garde

Titre :
LOI relative à la mise en œuvre de mesures réparatrices pour les atteintes aux droits humains, à l’environnement et à l’économie causées par l’exploitation du cobalt en République démocratique du Congo (RDC) ; renforcement de la responsabilité des entreprises dans les chaînes d’approvisionnement ; et création d’un dispositif de soutien aux immigrés congolais dans l’État de Washington.

Auteur(s) :
BEPARECOZA,
Contact : beparecozavpn@gmail.com, (206)306-6193, https://www.beparecoza.net/

Numéro de projet : (à attribuer)
Date :

Résumé :
Cette loi oblige les entreprises technologiques et manufacturières basées dans l’État de Washington utilisant du cobalt à assurer une diligence raisonnable au plan social et environnemental, à contribuer à un fonds de réparations et de résilience, et à soutenir les immigrés congolais affectés par les pratiques minières. Elle prévoit aussi des partenariats avec des organisations dirigées par la communauté congolaise locale.

Table des Matières

  1. Page de Garde

  2. Constat et Objectifs

  3. Définitions

  4. Devoir de diligence des entreprises et obligations de transparence

  5. Fonds de Réparations et de Résilience RDC

  6. Soutien et intégration des immigrés congolais

  7. Partenariats avec des organisations communautaires

  8. Contrôle et mise en œuvre

  9. Financement

  10. Application et date d’entrée en vigueur

  11. Clause de divisibilité

  12. Annexes (sources, partenaires)

SECTION 1. CONSTATS ET OBJECTIFS

L’État de Washington reconnaît que les chaînes d’approvisionnement mondiales, notamment l’exploitation du cobalt en RDC, ont été marquées par des violations graves des droits humains, dont le travail des enfants, le travail forcé, la destruction de l’environnement et le déplacement forcé des populations. Malgré la reconnaissance dans certaines juridictions, de nombreuses entreprises américaines en tirent profit, sans mesures contraignantes suffisantes. Certaines personnes congolaises ont émigré vers Washington pour fuir les violences liées à l’exploitation minière.

La Législature souhaite :

  • Imposer aux entreprises une responsabilité légale via la transparence dans la chaîne d’approvisionnement et des contributions à un fonds de réparations.

  • Apporter un soutien financier et des services aux immigrés congolais déplacés.

  • Établir des partenariats avec des organisations communautaires congolaises pour une intégration culturellement adaptée.

SECTION 2. DÉFINITIONS

  • « Entreprise concernée » : toute société basée dans l’État de Washington utilisant du cobalt dans ses produits.

  • « Personne affectée en RDC » : ressortissant congolais ayant subi un déplacement, des pertes ou des violations liées à l’exploitation minière.

  • « Rapport de transparence sur la chaîne d’approvisionnement » : publication annuelle détaillant l’origine du cobalt, les audits sociaux/environnementaux, les initiatives de réparation et les certifications tierces.

SECTION 3. DEVOIR DE DILIGENCE ET TRANSPARENCE

  • Obligation annuelle de publication (à compter de deux années après l’entrée en vigueur).

  • En cas de constat de travail forcé ou d’abus, les entreprises doivent verser au moins 2 % de leur chiffre d’affaires lié au cobalt provenant de Washington au Fonds de Réparations et de Résilience RDC.

  • Sanctions en cas de non-conformité : jusqu’à 1 % du chiffre d’affaires net trimestriel et publication publique de l’infraction.

SECTION 4. FONDS DE RÉPARATIONS ET DE RÉSILIENCE RDC

  • Création d’un fonds public géré par le Trésor de l’État, sous la responsabilité de l’Office of African and Global Affairs.

  • Distribution des fonds dans les domaines suivants :

    • Aide directe aux immigrés congolais (santé mentale, assistance juridique, réinstallation).

    • Projets communautaires en RDC (réhabilitation de sites miniers, santé, éducation).

  • Administration supervisée par un comité comprenant des ressortissants congolais, des ONG et des représentants communautaires.

SECTION 5. SOUTIEN ET INTÉGRATION DES IMMIGRÉS CONGOLAIS

  • Mise en place de services dédiés aux immigrés congolais pour :

    • Consultations psychologiques adaptées.

    • Aide juridique (immigration, emploi).

    • Formation linguistique et insertion professionnelle.

    • Assistance au logement et aux transports.

SECTION 6. PARTENARIATS AVEC DES ORGANISATIONS COMMUNAUTAIRES

La loi exige la collaboration avec des ONG dirigées par des Congolais pour la mise en œuvre des dispositifs :

  • Congolese Integration Network (CIN), acteur local à King County.

  • Congolese Community of Washington State (CCWAS), organisme 501(c)(3) créé en 1989.

  • Eastern Congo Initiative, initiative d’appui au développement en RDC.

Ces partenaires participeront à la conception des programmes et assureront la représentativité culturelle.

SECTION 7. CONTRÔLE ET MISE EN ŒUVRE

  • L’État audite les rapports d’entreprise ; des sanctions administratives ou civiles peuvent être prononcées.

  • Obligation pour les entreprises d’ouvrir un bureau de liaison communautaire dans l’État de Washington en faveur des immigrés congolais.

  • Publication annuelle d’un rapport d’impact : conformité, fonds versés, résultats en RDC, etc.

SECTION 8. FINANCEMENT

  • Financement assuré par : contributions d’entreprise (2 %), sanctions, subventions fédérales, dons privés.

SECTION 9. MISE EN ŒUVRE ET ENTRÉE EN VIGUEUR

  • Les agences définissent les règles d’application dans les 12 mois.

  • Entrée en vigueur prévue le 1er janvier 2026.

SECTION 10. CLAUSE DE DIVISIBILITÉ

Si une partie est invalidée par la justice, le reste de la loi demeure en vigueur.

ANNEXES

  • A. Article de Just Security sur le statut temporaire protégé (TPS) pour les immigrés congolais.

  • B. Rapports sur les abus dans l’exploitation de cobalt.

  • C. Présentation de CIN, CCWAS, Eastern Congo Initiative.