California’s Reparations Task Force voted Tuesday to define those who are eligible for reparations as descendants of African Americans enslaved in the U.S. or of free Black people living in the country before the end of the 19th century.

Much of the discussion among the task force members focused on differing interpretations of the state law that created the panel and on if all Black Californians should receive some form of reparation because of the lasting effects of slavery and the discrimination that has continued long after abolition. After hours of tense debate, the group voted to tie reparations to lineage.

“This measure is about reparations for those who are harmed by chattel slavery in this country,” said the Rev. Amos Brown, a civil rights leader and vice chair of the task force.

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