Hayward and Alameda County leaders have proposed a $900,000 reparations fund for residents whose land was seized during the demolition of Russell City — a historically Black and Latino community — to make way for an industrial park in the 1960s.

As Bay Area News Group reports, Russell City, once a thriving Black and Latino community on the edge of Hayward, was bulldozed in the 1960s under the guise of redevelopment. Now, nearly 60 years later, officials in Hayward and Alameda County are proposing a $900,000 redress fund for surviving residents who had their land seized and homes destroyed.

As KGO reports, Hayward officials and Alameda County Supervisors Elisa Márquez and Nate Miley have proposed that $250,000 would be allocated to the fund from the City of Hayward, $400,000 from Márquez’s office, and $250,000 from Miley’s. The funds would go to former Russell City residents whose properties were taken by eminent domain and annexed into Hayward.

Russell City was home to roughly 1,400 people, including Black, Latino, Asian, and poor white residents, before it was razed. About 700 parcels were seized. Though unincorporated and lacking city services, it was a vibrant community known for its strong local identity and blues music scene, hosting acts like Ray Charles and Dottie Ivory.

In 2021, Hayward formally apologized for its role in the destruction of the neighborhood, as reported by KQED. Alameda County followed with its own apology in 2023. That same year, the county formed a Reparations Commission to study the harms done to Russell City residents. The Russell City Reparative Justice Project — launched in 2022 — provided recommendations for how to move from apology to tangible repair.

Supervisor Márquez, who grew up in nearby Kelly Hill and first heard about Russell City from classmates at Fairview Elementary, said, “This is the result of collective and local action. This is what happens when you have people in these positions that are rooted and come from the community.”

She added, “With the background of everything going on at the federal level, it’s more important now than ever that we uplift this reality. We control our own voices, values and destiny at the local level.”

Eligibility requirements and payment processes are still being finalized. The Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on the proposal at its July 22 meeting.

Image: Russell City Art Commemoration mural, Heritage Plaza, Hayward; Downtown Hayward Improvement Association/Facebook