Landback & Reparations

As part of the City’s commitment to Justice, Equity, and Diversity, and following City Council's direction to address the historical harms that have been perpetrated across multiple communities in Santa Monica, the City is proud to announce the launch of its Landback and Reparations Task Force. The Task Force is a part of the City’s upcoming Citywide Equity Plan, and the next significant step in the City’s efforts toward accountability and repair.

The Landback & Reparations Task Force

Community members and leaders in the fields of racial and restorative justice are invited to apply for a seat on the Task Force (solicitar un puesto en el grupo de trabajo), dedicated to addressing the historical and ongoing harms faced by communities who have experienced systemic loss of land, housing, and opportunity in Santa Monica. Supported by the City's Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Team, this Task Force offers a unique opportunity to take an active role in historical research, truth-telling, and community engagement, resulting in actionable recommendations for reparative justice to be adopted by City Council. Members will engage in a wide range of activities, from exploring reparative justice practices globally, to building local connections for advocacy and educational outreach. If you’re passionate about social justice and want to be part of this historic effort, we invite you to apply and help us build a more equitable future for Santa Monica through confronting the harms of the past. Task Force members will also receive a $2,500 stipend at the conclusion of this process.

Timeline

- Application due: March 21, 2025; 8AM Pacific Time (Late applications will not be accepted)

- Offers sent out for Commission & sub-committee seats: March 28, 2025 5PM Pacific Time

- Offer response due: April 1, 2025; 5PM Pacific Time

- First Commission meeting: Week of April 7, 2025 (Meetings set based off of availability reported in application)

- First Sub-Committee meeting: Week of April 14, 2025 (Meetings set based off of availability reported in application)

Scope of Work

-Meeting Frequency: Bi-Weekly (With required Sub-Committee meetings on alternating weeks. See details below)

-Target Number of Members: 11

-Format: Reports to City Manager (Working group meetings will be public, but not pursuant to the Brown Act).

-Meeting Frequency: Bi-Weekly (With Sub-Committee meetings on alternating weeks)

-Meeting Location: Virtual (Unless otherwise noted)

-Proposed Timeline: April 2025 - June 2026

-Deliverables: Official City of Santa Monica Community Harms Report (For adoption by Council), 3-5 community outreach events, & a final Recommendations Report with recommendations on how the City should work to repair past/ongoing harms (for adoption by Council)

-Stipend: $2,500 paid at the end of their term

Sub-Committees

All Task Force Members are also required to serve on at least one of three sub-committee, which meet on alternating weeks of the Task Force. The Sub-Committees are:

-Historical Research: Researches and reports on harms to communities who experienced systemic loss of land, housing, and opportunity in Santa Monica. 

-Fundraising & Messaging: Creates and executes fundraising & communications plan to facilitate community support for the reparative justice process

-Community Education & Events : Researches and reports on global Truth & Reconciliation processes and identifies community partners to educate the community on the Task Force's findings

Other Ways to Participate

Want to support the work of the Task Force, but don't have the time commitment to join? Here are a few other ways you can be a part of this historic process:

-Apply to join a Sub-Committee (estimated 8 hours/month): Community members are invited to be a part of the above Sub-Committees. On the application, just mark that you're only applying in Sub-Committee membership.

-Sign Up to be a Landback & Reparations Ambassador (flexible commitment): The work of the Landback & Reparations Task Force is going to rely on the support of people within the community (like YOU!) who can dispel harm-furthering myths around these issues and promote this important work. Benefits of being an Ambassador include:

-Be the first to know about Task Force decisions and developments -Trainings and talking points around the importance of landback and reparations -Invites to Task Force events -Recognition in the City's official recommendations report -A low time-intensive way to support the City's historic restorative justice work

Questions? Please email David.Gardinier@Santamonica.gov. Otherwise, Please apply for the Task Force here!

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FAQ

What does 'landback' and 'reparations' mean?

Landback and reparations are forms of restorative justice gaining traction in communities across the country. Landback refers to the movement to return land taken through colonization to its original Indigenous inhabitants. While the most complete form involves transferring land back to Indigenous sovereignty, other approaches—such as co-managing land or restoring it to native plants with Indigenous stewardship practices—are also forms of Landback embraced by many Indigenous leaders. In California, landback is already happening at the federal, state, and local levels in many communities.

On the other hand, reparations is typically, although not exclusively, used to describe restorative justice work to heal historic harms done to African American communities. The reparations movement is gaining momentum nationwide, with dozens of cities studying the issue and some already distributing reparations funds. Notable examples include Evanston, IL; Asheville, NC; Athens, GA; St. Paul, MN; and most recently, Palm Springs, CA, where funds have been granted to largely Black and brown communities displaced by condemnation, similar to Santa Monica’s Belmar Triangle. Additionally, in 2023 the State of California put out an 1,100 page report on the harms done to Black Californians, along with recommendations on how to repair that harm, which is now being made into legislation.

Best practices for both landback and reparations work include financial compensation, but also go beyond monetary resources, and includes policy changes in accordance with the United Nations Principles on Remedy and Reparation

Why is the City pursuing landback and reparations work?

Engaging in landback and reparations is the logical next step in the City's reparative justice process, following statements like the City's Statement of Accountability (Land Acknowledgement) which is read at City Council meetings, and the City's Black Apology. Further, after adopting all of the recommendations coming out of the Re-Frame Mural project, Council directed staff to create a proccess to repair harm of past actions of the city of Santa Monica impacting diverse groups from various heritages and cultures. The result is the Landback & Reparations Task force, which was approved by City Council on February 11, 2025.

At the heart of the matter, supporting landback and reparations in Santa Monica is a crucial step toward addressing injustices and systemic discrimination faced by marginalized communities not only in the past, but today. For decades, our residents of color have endured laws and policies that enforced racial inequities, limiting their access to housing, employment, and land ownership opportunities, among others. Neighborhoods like the Belmar Triangle, and the beautiful diversity of the Pico Neighborhood are and have been erased under the guise of “progress” and redevelopment. By embracing landback and reparations, we can choose a future today that doesn’t mirror our past, thus breaking cycles of harm and pain for our entire community.

I don't live in Santa Monica, but would still like to be a part of this work. Am I eligible?

Yes! Our process is open to people who do not currently live in Santa Monica, so as to include nationwide experts in reparative justice, in addition to people who have been displaced from our community. Please feel free to apply.

How are Landback & Reparations Task Force application being evaluated?

Task force applications are being evaluated by a combination of City Staff and respected community leaders, with the City Manager making final appointments. For Santa Monica community members, we are looking for an obvious and longstanding commitment to social justice, a wealth of community connections and relationships, and a history of working across differences to advance equity.

For applicants outside of the Santa Monica community, we are looking for expertise and experience particularly in the fields of landback, reparations, and other restorative justice processes, along with a demonstrated ability to work across differences.

I still have questions or would like more information. Who should I reach out to?

Please direct all questions to David.Gardinier@santamonica.gov