Today, Where Is My Land is celebrating its second -year anniversary.
We have fiercely and tirelessly advocated for WIML Families from coast to coast by launching social media, traditional and petition campaigns, and on-site community activations. Kavon Ward, WIML CEO, played a major role in the movement that led to the signing of California legislation that returned wrongfully seized land in Manhattan Beach to the descendants of Black entrepreneurs, Charles and Willa Bruce. Where Is My Land was born from Justice for Bruce's Beach and continues to carry the torch across the nation in the "Black Land Back" movement.
Here is a brief recap of the families your donations helped WIML assist in its short existence:
The Hansberry Family- Carl Hansberry, father of A Raisin in the Sun playwright, Lorraine Hansberry, was a real estate broker and Black entrepreneur. He owned several properties in the Hyde Park area of Chicago and was the founder of Hansberry Enterprises. Hansberry purchased properties to help accommodate the rapidly increasing population of Black residents in need of low-rent housing. Several of his properties were stolen from him by the City of Chicago. #Hansberryheist
The Dye Family- Roosevelt Dye is fighting against the racist timber company that stole land from him, which affected his family’s generational wealth and the community. #saverooseveltdyeSign their petition!
The Jones Family-The City of Huntsville took their land and the Willie Jones Well by eminent domain. The land and the Willie Jones Well had been in their family since the 1870s. The Jones Family Land is currently being used as a parking lot by the University of Alabama-Huntsville. The Willie Jones Well, which was condemned as not being suitable for human consumption when owned by the Jones Family, is now providing high-quality fresh water for the City of Huntsville. #thejonesfamilywell #justiceforwilliejones Sign their petition!
The Keen Family -In the first decade of the 20th Century, the children of Eli Keen, Jr., one of the largest landowners in St. Charles County, Missouri, had their land unlawfully stolen. Due to Missouri laws making it illegal for Blacks and Whites to marry, Eli could not marry the love of his life, Phoebe. The two lived as a married couple and had eight children together. Missouri and the federal courts ignored Eli’s last will and testament, in which he left most of his property to his children, ruling instead that Eli Keen had died leaving no descendant capable of inheriting from him. #keenfamily
Washington, Baker, and Bell Families- They experienced unjust seizure of land in Wichita, Kansas between 1962 and 1968 through eminent domain. The families had valuable oil reserves beneath their properties, which were exploited by oil companies. Despite being promised a better life through urban renewal, the families were forced to leave their homes and received meager compensation for their properties. The families are now seeking restitution, including the return of their land, compensation for past and future oil profits, and an investigation into the unjust actions taken against them. #WBB4Justice
The Moore Family-Beverly Moore purchased her family's rented home in Richmond in 1980, which was seized by the city in 1993 for a drainage system. Moore was only compensated for half of its value. The City of Richmond plans to sell the vacant lot, but Moore is seeking legal counsel to prevent this, as she believes restitution and land justice are warranted. #savethemoorehome #rebuildthemoorehome Sign their petition!
The Christian Family-Debra Christian is engaged in a battle with the Gregg County Appraisal District over their refusal to update property records to reflect the family's ownership of land and mineral rights, including royalties from oil and gas leases. The family's history dates back to their ancestor, Butcher C. Christian, Sr., a former slave who became a significant landowner in Gregg County, Texas. The family alleges fraudulent actions by a county surveyor and a judge in obtaining leases and deeds, and despite efforts to rectify the situation, the appraisal district continues to disregard their rights. Sign their petition!
The White Family- Silas White, the founder of Ebony Beach Club had his dream of providing a beach club for the Black community denied when the city of Santa Monica used eminent domain to seize his property just before the scheduled opening. The seizure was seen as a manifestation of Santa Monica's anti-blackness and white supremacy. His daughter, Constance White, and niece, Milana Davis, have picked up the torch to continue the fight for justice and restitution. #theoriginalebonybeachclub Sign their petition!
Freeman Estates-The Freeman family in Halifax County, Virginia, has a powerful history tied to their land. After the Civil War, Emanuel Freeman Sr., a descendant of slaves, obtained 1,000 acres. They cultivated orchards, raised cattle, and relied on their land for sustenance. Discrimination and violence from white locals, including the Ku Klux Klan, tested their resilience. Despite hardships, the Freemans held onto their land, finding solace and hope. #Returnmineralsva
The Richmond Family-Hattie Mae Richmond was born in 1915 in Evelyn, Louisiana. After her mother's death, their grandmother raised her and her siblings. Hattie Mae married Jack Richmond and they had eleven children. The Richmond family has been trying to claim ownership of property and royalties from oil and gas wells on their land. They have faced challenges in obtaining information and receiving payments from companies like Red River Oil & Gas and Southwestern Energy. Despite their efforts, the family has yet to receive any royalties or establish a clear ownership status.
The Farrar Family- Mary Farrar became one of Trumbull’s largest landowners and the only Black woman landowner. Shortly after she died in 1942, the town began seizures of various estate plots via at least three eminent domain orders for "public use," according to the family.
The Edmonds Family-A dispute between Mr. Edmonds and the adjacent property owner involves a piece of land that includes the Jones Family Cemetery. The neighbor began construction on his house in 1998, encroaching on Mr. Edmonds' property and including the cemetery within his claimed ownership. The presence of the ancestral graves in the cemetery supports Mr. Edmonds' claim that the disputed parcel should belong to him, as previous owners would likely not have intentionally deeded away a parcel containing a family cemetery of historical and cultural significance to the Black community.
Sapelo Island- 700 acres of land was stolen by Richard J. Reynolds, Jr., the wealthy tobacco heir from North Carolina, through coercion and fraudulent "land swaps." The land belonged to the Gullah-Geechee of Sapelo Island. After Reynolds died in 1964, his widow sold the Sapelo Island holdings to the State of Georgia. Currently, the state asserts ownership of over 97% of the land on Sapelo Island. #sapeloisland #savethegullahgeehee
The Godfrey family, located in Texas, their ancestor were defrauded out of his land, which contained valuable oil and gas resources, through fraudulent land conveyances and transfers. Despite attempts by William N. Godfrey and his heirs to reclaim the land and seek justice, they have faced obstacles including racism, limited access to legal assistance, and the passage of time. Efforts to recover the land continue, but the family has encountered challenges such as the statute of limitations and the doctrine of adverse possession.
Section 14 Survivor's Group - In the early 1960s, the City of Palm Springs began burning down residents' homes with little or no notice. Members of the Agua Caliente Tribe, who leased the land to Black people, said they had no knowledge that the conservators were issuing eviction notices and removing residents.
The Edwards Family-This claim involves multiple heirs and descendants of a former slave named "Old" Joe Edwards. After Joe's death, his estate was divided among his heirs, but attorneys involved in the case obtained an unfair share of the estate's land, mineral rights, and royalties through exorbitant fees. The descendants of Joe Edwards are now seeking restitution and the return of their ancestral land and property.
The historic Alexander Family Farm in Texas, owned by a prominent Black family since 1847, has already diminished in size due to highway expansion through eminent domain. Despite the family's protests and efforts, TxDOT has not abandoned its plans to expand the highway over the farm and its cemetery, highlighting the ongoing struggle for Black land ownership and the disregard for historic sites and laws protecting them.
The Willis Family-Winston Willis, a Black property developer whose land was seized and destroyed by the city of Cleveland in 1982, highlighted the devastating impact of the expansion of Cleveland Clinic on thriving Black businesses and community centers. Willis's story serves as an example of the widespread theft of land and property that has hindered Black families' livelihoods, generational wealth, and legacies throughout the United States.
The Burgess Brothers, descendants of Rufus Burgess, Gold Rush Pioneer, are pursuing financial restitution and the recovery of land taken by eminent domain by the State of California to erect a National State Park in Coloma. The Burgess family owned and farmed the land from the mid-1800s until the mid-1900s.
Please continue supporting and investing in land justice as we embark on the next chapter. Where Is My Land will continue to spearhead the national movement to restore property and secure restitution for Black families whose land was unjustly stolen in the United States.
CALIFORNIA'S TASK FORCE ON REPARATIONS
The California Reparations Taskforce released its final report on June 29, 2023. It makes the following recommendations, citing its findings inChapter 22: Policies Addressing Housing Segregation and Unjust Property Takings
Prioritize Responsible Development in Communities and Housing Development.
Enact Policies Overhauling the Housing Industrial Complex.
Collect Data on Housing Discrimination.
Provide Anti-Racism Training to Workers in the Housing Field.
Expand Grant Funding to Community-Based Organizations to Increase Home Ownership.
Provide Property Tax Relief to African Americans, Especially Descendants, Living in Formerly Redlined Neighborhoods, Who Purchase or Construct a New Home.
Provide Direct Financial Assistance to Increase Home Ownership Among African Americans, Especially Descendants, Through Shared Appreciation Loans and Subsidized Down Payments, Mortgages, and Homeowner’s Insurance.
Require State Review and Approval of All Residential Land Use Ordinances Enacted by Historically and Currently Segregated Cities and Counties.
Repeal Crime-Free Housing Policies.
Increase Affordable Housing for African American Californians.
Provide Restitution for Racially Motivated Takings.
Provide a Right to Return for Displaced African American Californians.
