In case you missed it- Governor Newsom vetoed the landmark bill, SB 1050. The legislation would have provided overdue repair to victims of racially motivated eminent domain. Months of anticipation and hope were dashed with one signature and a cursory letter. 
 
SB 1050 would have undoubtedly set a historical precedent. In a country that defers to excuses, Black folks advocate for themselves, their ancestors, and restitution. It's time to stop asking how expensive it will be and how it will be funded. When faced with the reality of their harms, the municipalities who throw their hands up in resignation are the same ones who are accruing equity and interest on stolen lands. Those assets have not disappeared, not in the slightest. Silas White's family is reminded of his deferred dream every time they pass the Viceroy. Russell City descendants living in Hayward have had any physical reminders of the town stolen from them. However, countless buildings have been built on the bones of what was. 
 
There is often an air of paternalism when discussing reparations. In his SB 1050 veto letter, Newsom stated that the bill's implementation would be "impossible" due to a lack of infrastructure. But couldn't that have been created? A few months ago, $12 million was allocated for the reparations bills that never saw the light of day. Where are those funds going? Those dollars could have gone to implementing SB 1050 directly, but instead, it's probably on its way to more white institutions for the sake of 'research'? Governments systematically stole our agency through practices like eminent domain; when will they finally return it?

Ebony Beach Club

Last week, Autumn Breon orchestrated the "Ebony Beach Club Memory Portal." Over 50 community members gathered at the Calvary Baptist Church to commemorate Black Santa Monica. Participants had their portraits taken and digitized and shared memories of Black Santa Monica's past. Connie White, the daughter of Ebony Beach Club owner Silas White, delivered a rousing speech that ignited everyone in attendance. 

The city's self-imposed deadline to provide repair recommendations for Ebony Beach Club's unjust seizure came and went this past summer. Where Is My Land and the White family, with Connie at the helm, continue to fight for #Justice4SilasWhite. Stay tuned for more updates. In the meantime, continue signing and sharing the White family petition to demand repair. 

Russell City Descendants for Reparative 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. 

Last month, Hayward City Council held the previous town hall meeting in a five-part series to collect additional community responses on proposed reparative responses. Now, Hayward City Council will analyze the feedback gathered and return with our next steps on November 19th. If you or any of your loved ones are in the Bay Area, we ask you to show up and hold the folks who displaced Russell City accountable.  

The Pearson Family

“I feel like I’m in 1924 with a whole bunch of racists trying to run me out of town." -Tashenia Pearson 

Tashenia Pearson, a homeowner and property owner, is engaged in a legal battle to rectify long-standing property issues and address racial injustice in her neighborhood. Ms. Pearson's property, located at Lot 23, 664 Buckeye Drive, Livermore, California, has become a symbol of systemic problems stemming from historical and ongoing racial segregation. 

Ms. Pearson's fight began when she took ownership of the property previously owned by her parents. As she gained a deeper understanding of past fraudulent practices against her parents, she uncovered an unsettling history of land ownership and discriminatory practices that continue to affect her today. 

In 1971, their agent encouraged Ms. Pearson's parents, Mr. Lacerial and Mrs. Opaline Pearson, to purchase their home and lot in an all-white neighborhood. However, unbeknownst to them, an adjacent property had been granted a "recreational easement" over part of their land. This encroachment deprived them of land access, led to constant harassment, and isolated their home behind a divisive concrete wall. 

The concrete wall is not only a constant reminder of the fraud her parents endured, but it is also structurally unsound. Its presence also makes it illegal for the family to sell or rent their home. Tashenia's case is now at a crossroads. She submitted a complaint to the city, requesting they inspect the wall. They refused. As if their negligence wasn't enough, they threatened to bog her down with their legal fees if she decided to take them to court. 

Head to change.org, sign their petition, and send it to three friends! 

Check out The Ebony Beach Club Story in Issue 29 of Alta Journal!

"I was born and raised in Harlem, so audacious courage resides within me, and it’s extremely necessary as I move forward and aid other Black families across this country." 

-Kavon Ward

Kavon Ward and the Ebony Beach Club were featured in ALTA Journal's Issue 29! Alta Journal is a quarterly publication focusing on innovation in California and the West. 

The article "Poetic Injustice" profiles Silas White, the Ebony Beach Club, and his daughter's fight for repair. Paylor's craft fully intertwines the past, present, and future and brings color to Silas's life and community-driven pursuits. She also traces our CEO, Kavon Ward, 's journey to the West and her earthly assignment. 

The piece is timely, poignant, and holds great reverence for the White family and their fight for justice. 

Make sure to click below and check it out! We've added an excerpt below:

"On July 15, 1958, five of the seven members of Santa Monica’s city council assembled in their second-floor chambers in City Hall, where floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked a landscaped courtyard. A city official initiated the proceedings with the Pledge of Allegiance: '…one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.'

The council members began working through the reading and adoption of nearly 20 resolutions. Included on the list was Resolution 1987, which declared eminent domain over five lots on Ocean Avenue to make way for a parking lot for the new civic center. A run-down three-story building remained on one of them, referred to as Lot 6. Vacant since 1944, it was the former clubhouse for an Elks Lodge. Silas White, a Black businessman, was converting the property into a posh resort for Black beachgoers to be called the Ebony Beach Club.

Resolution 1987 passed 4 to 1, ensuring that White’s club would never see the light of day..."

Why is Eminent Domain Reversal Critical? 

Eminent domain was one of many tendrils governments employed to dispossess and displace Black folks. A 2007 report entitled ​​”Eminent Domain and African Americans” by the Institute for Justice found that during a nearly 25-year period, 2,532 eminent domain projects were carried out. One million people were displaced, two-thirds of them Black.

Policies like eminent domain fractured communities and helped catalyze the current 248-year wealth gap between Black and white Californians. Silas White’s Ebony Beach Club was supposed to provide a community free from the Jim Crow’s humiliations. Despite being deliberately under-resourced, Russell City became a cultural anchor in the West Coast Blues scene. Governments shamelessly stole futures by wielding eminent domain for their own interests. Where would these communities be had they been given the room and resources to flourish? What possibilities were quelled before they were born? 

SB 1050 would have created broad pathways to healing and repair. Eminent domain reversal is urgent and should be a priority for both state and federal governments. 

As we continue to fight for SB 1050, your contributions, large or small, are critical. This work would not be possible without your investments in repair. Help us to continue scaling this work and impacting the lives of Black families across America. 
We have a new fiscal sponsor and can now accept tax-deductible donations again!

Top Reparative Justice Headlines of September 2024

Sacramento, CA: Disappointing but unsurprising. Governor Newsom has officially vetoed SB 1050. Black land justice took a hit but we're going to come back even stronger next year.

Sacramento, CA: Governor Newsom nixed bills that would provide material repair but signed an apology for slavery into law. If only words could help mitigate the 248-year wealth gap in California! 

Santa Monica, CA: If you're curious about Silas White's journey, the Ebony Beach Club and WIML's fight for justice, check out our feature 'Poetic Injustice',  published by ALTA Journal!

Washington, D.C.: The question of federal reparations looms heavy as we prepare for November's election. VP Harris' opinion? Reparations should be a project for Congress.

Tulsa, OK: 100 years overdue. The DOJ has finally announced its first-ever review of the 1921 Massacre.

Baton Rouge, LA: A family who made their wealth off the backs of slaves are trying to atone for their sins. The Close family donated $1 million to the guaranteed income program for victims of police racism- but is it enough?