California to apologise for state's legacy of racism, slavery under new law

California will formally apologise for slavery and its lingering effects on Black Americans in the state under a new law Governor Gavin Newsom has signed.

The legislation was part of a package of reparations bills introduced this year that seek to offer repair for decades of policies that drove racial disparities for African Americans. Newsom also approved on Thursday laws to improve protections against hair discrimination for athletes and increase oversight over the banning of books in state prisons.

The State of California accepts responsibility for the role we played in promoting, facilitating, and permitting the institution of slavery, as well as its enduring legacy of persistent racial disparities, the Democratic governor said in a statement. Building on decades of work, California is now taking another important step forward in recognising the grave injustices of the past - and making amends for the harms caused.

Newsom signed the bills after vetoing a proposal Wednesday that