More than 60 years after officials in Hayward—a city in California’s San Francisco Bay Area—used eminent domain to forcibly remove and demolish the unincorporated community of Russell City, local leaders have approved a $1 million reparations fund for displaced families, renewing long-standing calls for recognition of erased Black history.
That village was destroyed in 1963 when the predominantly white city of Hayward used eminent domain to force 205 families from their homes. The city offered low payments for their properties before burning every building to make room for an industrial park. The Guardian recently spoke with survivors about their journey to reconciliation.
“We lost everything. Our community was erased. My parents, they lost their dignity,” Gloria Moore told the outlet. “Our dreams were shattered and we were forced to scatter.”…