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By Joe Bowers | California Black Media
Dr. William “Bill” Spriggs, an educator and one of the economists serving on the California Reparations Task Force, passed away on June 6.
The chief economist for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and a former chairperson of the Economics Department at Howard University, Spriggs, 68, held several economic policy positions in the federal government, spanning two presidential administrations.
Among those mourning his passing is U.S. President Joe Biden. “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Bill Spriggs, a man who brought as much lasting brilliance to economics as he brought joy to his friends and colleagues,” Biden shared in a written statement. “Bill was a towering figure in his field, a trailblazer who challenged the field’s basic assumptions about racial discrimination in labor markets, pay equity, and worker empowerment. His work inspired countless economists, some of whom work for our Administration, to join him in the pursuit of economic justice.”
In March, Spriggs was among four economists who developed formulas estimating that the amount California owes Black residents who are descendants of enslaved people in the United States is likely to exceed $800 billion.
“Devastated to hear the news of Dr. #BillSpriggs’ passing! He left a tremendous mark on society, contributing to the first-in-the-nation California Reparation Task Force, including the compensation section of our final report (releasing on June 29). Rest well!,” California Reparations Task Force Chairperson Kamilah V. Moore tweeted on June 7.
