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California lawmaker says bill would give admission priority at public university to descendants of slaves

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, a Democrat who represents parts of Los Angeles, told The Associated Press he will introduce the bill as lawmakers meet in Sacramento to swear in new members for a new legislative session. Bryan said universities have given admission priority to certain applicants for decades, which benefited mostly donors and their families. 

"For decades universities gave preferential admission treatment to donors and their family members, while others tied to legacies of harm were ignored and at times outright excluded," he said. "We have a moral responsibility to do all we can to right those wrongs."

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, D-Los Angeles, plans to introduce a bill that would give descendants of slaves priority for admission to the state's public universities. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli/File)

Fox News Digital has reached out to Bryan's office. The move comes as the incoming Trump administration is expected to limit diversity, equity and inclusion programs. 

"There is a growing understanding of California’s role in perpetuating the inequalities that arose from slavery, and there’s a willingness to try to rectify that harm, to heal that harm," said Bryan.

University of California, Berkeley (iStock)

Lawmakers were also meeting in a special session to consider ways to protect the state's progressive policies ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's second term. Trump has promised to rein in "wokeness" in schools and heavily criticized the Department of Education. 

This view shows Simpson Tower and Salazar Hall on the Cal State campus in Los Angeles on May 27, 2024. (Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

He has criticized the department and called for it to be dismantled.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.