The Californians for Equal Rights Foundation (CFER) have filed a lawsuit against the city and county of San Francisco as well as the San Francisco Unified School District, the California Health and Human Services Agency, and the University of California San Francisco, accusing them of running discriminatory guaranteed income programs that they claim violate the 14th Amendment.
CFER is being represented by the American Civil Rights Project (ACR Project) in its challenge against four specific guaranteed-income initiatives.
The four guaranteed-income programs we are challenging include:
• The Abundant Birth Project (APB), which provides unconditional cash supplements (up to $1,000) to Black and Pacific Islander mothers as a strategy to reduce preterm birth and improve economic outcomes for our communities.
• The Guaranteed Income for Trans People (GIFT), which provides low-income transgender San Franciscans with $1,200 each month, up to 18 months, with priority given to Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) applicants.
• The Guaranteed Income Pilot for Artists (GIPA), which provides 190 artists of particular races and gender expressions monthly payments of $1,000 for up to 18 months.
• The Black Economic Equity Movement (BEEM), which selects 300 Black young adults ages 18 to 24 to receive $500 per month for one year.
“The California Constitution unambiguously prohibits public agencies from treating individuals differently on the basis of race,” commented Frank Xu, president of CFER. “But these entities ignore the law and offer race-preferential programs under the disguise of equity. We are proud to participate in this historic legal challenge to safeguard equal treatment as the lead plaintiff.”
