Reparations Battle in Hayward's Russell City.

The city of Hayward, California issued an apology for the destruction of Russell City, a predominantly Black and Latino community that was bulldozed and sold off to developers in 1967. However, not everyone is on board with the plan for reparations, with some claiming that the story of Russell City has been wrongly co-opted by local politicians, national media, and reparations advocates to serve as an example of unjust government actions against African Americans. The lack of documentation to prove whether the county government acted illegally or improperly compensated residents has been a major hurdle for Russell City’s Black descendants looking for restitution. The Russell City Reparative Justice Project is on track to submit its proposals in November, but there is no indication of what type of reparations might be accepted or where the funding would come from.