California Gov. Gavin Newsom sparked controversy this week when media outlets labeled him as being opposed to proposals from California's Reparations Task Force. This came after Newsom's office issued a statement in response to the task force's approval of a final set of recommendations on how the state could compensate its Black residents for slavery and racial prejudice. Newsom was portrayed in headlines as declining to support reparations payments of cash, but he later clarified that he is "not backing away from cash payments." He wants to wait for the report in its entirety to arrive on his desk before making any decisions, says Newsom’s chief communications adviser, Anthony York. The task force is pushing the state to adopt a K-12 curriculum that teaches kids about "systemic racism" and "advances the ideology of Black liberation." Critics suggest that the report is sketchy, as it is unclear how the task force wants California to make the teaching of systemic racism a part of the curriculum. Although the state legislature has the final say on what action to take regarding reparations, Newsom needs to sign any measures lawmakers produce into law.