[cure-news] Law requiring city contractors to disclose slavery links is passed

[Ida Hakim]

*Law requiring city contractors to disclose slavery links is passed**

SAN FRANCISCO - Banks, clothing manufacturers and insurance companies 
will have to disclose any past connections to the slave trade if they 
want to do business with the city of San Francisco.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a slavery era disclosure 
ordinance Tuesday that gives city contractors nine months to prove under 
oath that they searched for historical documents that would show ties to 
the slave trade and the results of that search.

?It?s important that this country and San Francisco apologize and are 
aware of the slavery. We cannot just let it go and assume it didn?t 
happen,? said Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, author of the ordinance.

Insurance polices, loan documents and other records show some companies 
that are still around today profited from slavery.

While there are no penalties should a contractor reveal ties to the 
slave trade, contractors are encouraged to donate money into a fund that 
will be established under the legislation. The fund will be used to pay 
for educational programs and developments ?designed to ameliorate the 
effects of slavery? on San Francisco residents.

All companies that provide financial, insurance or textile services for 
The City are covered by the legislation.

The legislation follows passage of the state?s first slavery era 
accountability ordinance, which required all insurance companies to 
research their archives and provide the state with any information that 
linked them to the slave industry.

Other cities have similar ordinances, including Chicago, Los Angeles, 
Oakland and Berkeley.

It?s unclear if any of The City?s contractors had ties to the slave 
trade. The City has contracts with at least 10 textile companies and has 
more than $1 billion deposited in interest-bearing accounts in a number 
of banks, including Bank of America.

?The Bank of America is currently examining its records to determine if 
it participated or profited from slavery,? Maxwell said.
jsabatini at examiner.com
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