In July, Hayward City Council began a series of town hall meetings to address the harm enacted on Russell City in the 1960s. The meetings are designed to collect public comment from community members and Russell City descendants on ten proposed recommendations for repair. During the first meeting, we got a glimpse into the minds of folks who opposed the movement, and it was astonishing, to say the least. 
 
A member of the Hayward Concerned Citizens, a group formed by TJ Ferreira to 'counteract calls to defund the police,' called for no reparations to be given. Surprise, surprise.

Russell City was a multi-racial community, but participants with no affiliation to the former town said that everyone in Hayward, both Black and white, had experienced some level of harm. If Russell City survivors and descendants receive reparations, they believe they deserve some, too. They never consider the scale of the damage or that our people were targeted because of their Blackness (the town was majority Black and Latino.) 
 
The opponents did little to no research, but as is their duty in whiteness, they must thwart any progress Black folks might make. It was such a disgusting display of anti-Blackness and privilege. Even if they have nothing else in the world, they believe their whiteness makes them the arbiters of our destiny. 
 
While my team and I have been attending the meetings, and we encourage our community members to do so as well, the voices of the harmed need to be centered and prioritized. Who cares that Jane from Alameda County doesn't think Black people are worthy of repair and restitution? She comes from the same stock of people who dispossessed us in the first place. When municipalities play 'both sides' as if one side isn't rooted in dehumanizing the other, I question how committed they truly are to healing. 

Ebony Beach Club

Santa Monica's self-imposed deadline to provide repair recommendations for Ebony Beach Club's unjust seizure came and went on July 23rd. The City Manager, David White, gave cursory remarks that lasted less than a minute. He provided no concrete updates or recommendations. Where Is My Land and the White family will continue to fight for what they are owed. Stay tuned for more updates. In the meantime, continue signing and sharing the White family petition to demand repair. 

Russell City Descendants for Restorative Justice

Over 18 months ago, the Russell City Reparative Justice Project Steering Committee was formed by the city of Hayward to research and prepare restitution recommendations for victims who had their homes seized and destroyed by Hayward City and Alameda County. 

On March 26, 2024, a work session was held at the Hayward City Council meeting to receive recommendations for reparative justice actions proposed by former residents and descendants of Russell City. As City of Hayward staff further assesses the recommendations, they are collecting additional community feedback before bringing the proposals back to the City Council for further consideration and potential implementation. 

To accomplish this, the City will host a five-part, virtual town hall series between July and September 2024 to get input on 10 reparative justice proposals. 

Each meeting discusses two repair proposals, i.e. meeting one discussed general basic income and fair compensation. After each meeting, an online forum for public comment was supposed to open. The first two public comment periods were supposed to begin on August 1st and August 8th but the City has continually pushed these dates back. Now, their website says that public comment for the first four (4) proposals will launch during the week of August 12 – 16, 2024 (next week) with no explanation or set date. Additionally, the other public comment periods they set forth have shifted and will now be announced at future town hall meetings. Learn more here.

We believe this may be a stunt to prolong the implementation of their recommendations for repair. Based on their lack of communication and transparency, there's no telling if the portal will even open next week as newly promised. Making cities stick to their word gets tiresome.

The Matthews Family

We're back in Huntsville, Alabama with the Garner Family! Carrie Matthews was unlawfully kicked off her land by greedy, conniving lawyers who lied about a key document for decades. Now, commercial properties like Aldi, Valvoline and more stand on her land. Right now, their petition has almost 400 signees, can we count on your signature?

With another huge milestone under our belt in Santa Monica, our impact is undeniable. This work wouldn't be possible without your generous donations, large or small. Help us to continue scaling this work and impacting the lives of Black families across America. 

We have a new fiscal sponsor and are now able to accept tax-deductible donations again!

Top Reparative Justice Headlines

Tulsa, OK: The Mayor of Tulsa announced the creation of a new commission to recommend how reparations can be made for a 1921 race massacre. This is a start but the survivors, Mother Randle and Mother Fletcher, deserve immediate relief.

New York, New York: The New York State Reparations Committee, formed in December 2023, had its first meeting last month. Their deadline to produce a recommendation report is the end of 2025. Let's see what they come up with.

Washington, DC: Kamala Harris is officially on the ticket as the 2024 Democratic Presidential candidate- but what's her stance on reparations?

Coloma, CA: In the small town where the Gold Rush began, Black land was turned into a state park. Now, they're coming for what's owed.

Sacramento, CA: It's a start but they need to add a few zeroes. In a new budget signed by Governor Newsom, California will allocate $12 million to reparations spending. 

Ann Arbor, MI: The Ann Arbor City Council unanimously approved a feasibility study on reparations. The City Administrator has until December 2024 to determine a source of funding for the study, which will report on the feasibility and structure of the proposed program.