![]() ![]() For years, residents of Russell City asked Alameda County to provide those services, but were denied.ĭespite those challenges, the community flourished, and Russell City became known in particular for its vibrant music scene. But living in the unincorporated area also meant they were left without basic services, including sanitation or a fire department. Many those who moved to Russell City after World War II were escaping housing discrimination they faced in other parts of the Bay Area. Her father grew up in Russell City, and she knows firsthand the pain that was caused by the community’s dissolution. Figueroa is a member the Russell City Reparative Justice Steering Committee chaired by Aisha Knowles, for whom the incremental steps toward progress stir a kaleidoscope of emotions. Just last month, Alameda County apologized for its role in the destruction of the community, following a similar apology from the city of Hayward in 2021.Ī handful of local, state, and county task forces have been meeting to figure out how to make amends for the damage done by Hayward and Alameda County. Now, nearly 60 years after Russell City was razed, it has become the epicenter of the movement to provide reparations to Black communities in the Bay Area. It was annexed and bulldozed by neighboring Hayward in 1964 to make way for an industrial park, and during the 1950s and 1960s, over 1,400 people were displaced. Russell City, an unincorporated area in Alameda County, became a thriving haven for people of color after World War II. “I used to play piano in the churches there,” said Figueroa, 80, who now lives in Hayward. The music echoed in the dining room, where old photo albums depicted life as it once was in Russell City, a town in which she was married decades earlier. On a recent afternoon, Priscilla Figueroa played “Solamente Una Vez,” a melancholy song about love and loss, on the piano at her home. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |