Hayward receives Russell City reparative recommendations
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CITY NEWS
HAYWARD
—MY CITY IN RUINS—At an emotional meeting on Tuesday night in Hayward, former residents of Russell City, and descendants took the first step in righting a historical wrong.
—The Russell City Reparative Justice Project, the steering committee created by the Hayward City Council to study potential reparations for the forced removal of residents in the unincorporated area in the early 1960s, offered 26 recommendations to city leaders.
—The steering committee is co-chaired by Aisha Knowles, an Alameda County Board of Education trustee, and Elizabeth Sanchez. Both are descendants of Russell City residents.
—“Liz and I, and so many others in this room, represent our ancestors’ wildest dreams,” Knowles told the council.
—“In 1963, many of our families did not have a voice,” Knowles said, referencing a public meeting held six decades ago by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors that would lead to the removal of residents from Russell City.
—“They were not able to be on the record. They were not able to attend the meeting. Tonight is important. It has historical value. It has personal value and helps address the generational trauma that families—I’ll say some families—are still working through.”
—Russell City was later annexed by Hayward. The area is now an industrial business park. Hayward formally apologized for the treatment of Russell City residents in 2021.
—Hayward councilmembers were clearly moved by the presentation. All voiced support for the steering committee’s efforts.
—“Government sometimes can be impersonal and through this process I’m hoping that we acknowledge what has happened and we walk through this process with a sense of empathy,” Mayor Mark Salinas said. “Clearly we have to do something.”
—It’s unclear how much resources Hayward is able or willing to pay for some of the reparations listed by the Russell City steering committee.
—If approved, many of the recommendations could be costly, such as proposals for a Guaranteed Basic Income for living former residents and their descendents, educational stipends, and a plan for Russell City property owners to receive lease paybacks.
—Some councilmembers suggested that its state and federal leaders help find funding for Russell City residents.
—“We know that there are more people that need to come to the table in order for there to be reparative justice,” Knowles said.
—Hayward Councilmember Angela Andrews called out the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, the government body that actually cleared out Russell City, in some cases, through eminent domain.
—“County Board of Supervisors, you need to come to the table,” Andrews said.
—Last year, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors offered an apology for its role in the injustices at Russell City.
—Program note: The East Bay Insiders newsletter is taking a break this Friday, and will return on Monday, April 1.
—On Wednesday afternoon, I separately met two insiders at the coffee shop. It’s always nice to meet my subscribers and, in this case, share my copy of The New York Times!
—Some of you out there may have noticed that the subheaders on stories over the past three days are Bruce Springsteen song titles. It’s my homage to the Boss, one of my musical and writing heroes. I’ll be at the Chase Center tonight jamming with Bruce.
—Here’s the time I shook Bruce’s hand:
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