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JUNETEENTH
Juneteenth was originally celebrated in Texas, on June 19, 1866. It marked the first anniversary of the day that African Americans there first learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, more than two years after it was initially issued.
Juneteenth is especially important to Where Is My Land as it also marks the beginning of the "Black Land Back" movement which was spearheaded by Kavon Ward, CEO and Founder of Where Is My Land and Justice for Bruce's Beach. Kavon led the historical and successful movement which made it possible for stolen land to be returned to the descendants of Black landowners, Willa and Charles Bruce. She started her advocacy around Bruce's Beach on Juneteenth, 2020 when she and other co-founders of a group in the South Bay put together a picnic at Bruce's Beach to shed light on Black history in Manhattan Beach. Click here to learn more about Justice for Bruce's Beach
Loyola Law School's Anti-Racism Center Works with WIML families
Students from Loyola Law School worked with WIML Research Lead, Kamala Miller-Lester, to provide additional research for three family claims. Students gained experience in client contact and interviewing, legal research, crafting unique legal strategies, and gained valuable insight into the land reparations/restitution movement. The clinic was supervised by Professor Eric Miller, Co-director of the Loyola Anti-Racism Center, who monitored students' projects and provided them with access to research tools and resources needed to complete their final product.
DID YOU KNOW?
Owning a home is an undeniable part of the American dream — and of American citizenship. It is also the key to building intergenerational wealth.
Over the last 15 years, Black homeownership has declined more dramatically than for any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. In 2019, the Black homeownership rate was about as low as in the 1960s, when private race-based discrimination was legal. This is an excerpt from the NPR Series, We Hold These Truths, Black Americans and the Racist Architecture of Homeownership.
The California Reparations Taskforce is set to host its last public meeting on Thursday, June 29, 2023, prior to its deadline to produce its final report on July 1. Following the release of the report, Governor Newsom and California state legislators must act on the recommendations, by introducing and implementing specific legislative proposals.
MINNESOTA'S CONGRESSWOMAN CORI BUSH INTRODUCES REPARATION RESOLUTION
Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-1), in partnership with many organizations and reparations advocates, introduced a resolution supporting overdue reparations for Black Americans. The proposed legislation states "the Federal Government must return, restore, or provide an adequate remedy for property unjustly stolen from Black families through the use of racially restrictive covenants and eminent domain."
WIML Is Proud to Announce It Received a Grant from the Building Power Champions Fund, managed by Moore Philanthropy, the collaborative partner of Moore Impact.
With the Moore Impact Grant, WIML will continue its mission to provide education, support, and advocacy for the Black community. WIML will continue to be a pioneer in the Black Land Back Movement! To learn more about Moore Philanthropy Visit click here!
Currently, WIML is assisting 52 of the 800 claims nationwide including California, Arkansas, Kansas, Chicago, Minnesota, Texas, and Alabama.
Black Land Theft and Mineral Rights
This month, Where Is My Land will be amplifying the voices of our WIML families who have not only lost intergenerational wealth from the value of their land being unjustly taken, but also oil and mineral rights, and millions of dollars in interest and royalties from valuable resources that have been extracted from beneath the soil.