"More than 1,400 residents were forced to move in what is now recognized by city and county officials as a historic wrong, the destruction of a predominantly Black and Latino community to make way for an industrial park."
"Restrictive deeds, later made illegal, meant people of color were often able to buy property only outside city limits that lacked services like trash pickup or public sewer access, making them vulnerable to such moves."
"Former residents say the loss of homes, land, and businesses erased opportunities to build generational wealth - harms a new fund is intended to acknowledge through cash payments."
Russell City was a thriving Black and Latino community in Hayward that was forcibly cleared through eminent domain to make way for an industrial park, displacing over 1,400 residents and destroying homes, businesses, and cultural institutions. Residents lost opportunities to build generational wealth. This destruction reflected a common 1960s pattern where government agencies seized land from people of color, often targeting communities outside city limits with limited services. Despite these challenges, Russell City residents built a close-knit community featuring farms, crops, and a culturally significant blues club hosting legendary performers. Following George Floyd's murder and the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, national attention on reparations increased, prompting local officials to apologize and establish a fund providing cash payments to acknowledge these historic wrongs.
Read at The Mercury News
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