Reparative Justice for Russell City
In Which: An attorney threatens to force the City into districts. The Concerned Citizens stand on the wrong side of history. Councilmember Syrop reads a spreadsheet.
Closed Session Reveal
The meeting started off with an overview of “Actions Taken” during closed session. Usually, the City Attorney could do half of his public speaking with a recording of the phrase “Took no reportable action.” But this time was different.
The interesting bit was the case Cristina Ramirez Fonua, et al., v. City of Hayward, et, al.—and the City Attorney said that a settlement was reached for $875,000. If I’m reading this Case Summary correctly, and I admit I may not be, it looks like the mother of Stoney Ramirez—a man killed by HPD on May 20th, 2020—was suing to get custody of Stoney’s children as the mother couldn’t be contacted.
This kind of thing is legally confusing to me. I’m not sure whether the settlement is over the custody fight or whether it’s for the death of Stoney Ramirez—who was essentially killed for being a person-of-interest in the death of a homeless man. Doubtless, having a record didn’t help.
Anyway, just in case anyone is ever wondering about the cost of police violence—outside of the obvious cost to human life and safety—$875,000 is just one of the 6 incidents that have happened in the last 4 years.
Districting’s On The Menu
Not many people wanted to talk about things that weren’t the main event, but one stood out: Attorney Scott Rafferty. He’s got a bit of a record as one of two different attorneys who like to use the Voting Rights Act to force cities and special districts to switch to districted elections.
Although he cited the lack of Asian representation on the City Council—despite Councilmember George Syrop being mixed-race Asian—Mr. Rafferty has a vested interest in these suits. According to some reports, he’s previously requested payouts of at least $40,000 to avoid a lengthy legal battle under a provision of the CVRA that allows plaintiffs’ attorneys to collect fees when they force a quick settlement. Seems like a good check for filing some paperwork.
Districts are generally more representative than at-large seats and, according to political scientists, are a good idea for any elected body that represents more than 100,000 people. With a recent population of 160,000, Hayward could definitely benefit from it. Keep an eye out for this in the future, as he alluded that the City had been keeping it in Closed Session for two years and is now looking to ramp up the pressure.
Reparative Justice Comes To Hayward
If you didn’t know the story of Russell City before today, you will now. To give a little bit of context that wasn’t necessarily present in the meeting itself, I’m going to give a little bit of a history lesson before we get into the meeting.
A Brief and Incomplete History of Russell City
Russell City was an unincorporated area to the West of Hayward in what is now the industrial part of town. Broadly fitting in the space West of the Union Pacific—then Southern Pacific—freight train tracks, South of Winton Blvd, and North of Highway 92, Russell City was predominantly populated by Black and Latine residents who weren’t able to get land anywhere else.
Due to redlining and racial covenants and cost, many people of color weren’t able to live in places like Oakland or Hayward1. But land in Russell City was cheap—primarily because there were absolutely no services: no running water, no electricity, no paved roads. Technically under the purview of Alameda County, the residents paid taxes for these things, but for some reason were never provided them (the reason was racism).
Despite it all, there are endless stories—with more below—about how the residents formed a tight-knit community despite the hardships. It was a hub for Bay Area Blues culture—even visited by legendary pianist Ray Charles—and widely thought of as somewhere that felt like home. This goes to show that community can give us things that consumerism can’t.
When the Federal Government embarked on Urban Renewal projects throughout the country, Hayward started eying up Russell City. The residents had petitioned Hayward for annexation, and the County for services and even incorporation. All requests were denied.
But when Federal money became available and there was a possibility of turning Russell City into the moneymaking industrial hub it is today, the County used eminent domain and other tactics to push residents out and pay them below market rates for their properties. And for those who refused to get out there was a mysterious rash of fires that seemed to burn homes down, but only when nobody was home.
In 1968, after Russell City’s residents had been forcibly relocated to various parts of the Bay Area, the City officially annexed the area and sold it to developers. The residents have been keeping the history of Russell City alive through community picnics and story swaps and, now, fighting for Reparative Justice.
From The CSC to the Steering Committee to Council
In the Staff introduction, Assistant City Manager Regina Youngblood recognized that the push for reparative justice was entirely started by the Community Services Commission in 2021. Since that time, the City and 13 descendants and former residents, have invested time and money into fact-finding and developing 26 recommendations that will work toward reparative justice.
Although the 13-person Russell City Reparative Justice Project Steering Committee (RCRJPSC) did the most meeting and discussion, when it came time to develop the recommendations, the committee distributed a survey to all the former residents and descendants they could find. All told 370 people gave input and even more were involved in the discussion that prioritized the recommendations.
Although there’s a lot of blame to go around—especially Alameda County—one of the co-chairs of the RCRJPSC, Aisha Knowles, took pains to stress that this was only the beginning. “This is one step—one slice of research,” she said. And even that is a lot. If you want to know more, I encourage you to dip into the documents listed on the agenda.
Veggies Before Dessert
There was over an hour of public comment, which I’ll highlight in a moment. But there was one comment that I need to elevate, just so it doesn’t get buried. The Hayward Concerned Citizens, known for supporting an expanded police state, submitted a 9 page document to City Council in opposition to reparations for Russell City residents and descendants.
Their points can be summarized as follows:
Nobody knows why those fires happened.
Former residents were fairly compensated.
White people lived there, too.
It wasn’t about race, it was about income.
This was a process of “progress, growth, and redevelopment” so it wasn’t actually bad.
Hayward is not responsible
Their report, which is definitely a rollercoaster of white fragility, was created by “a committee made up of Hayward Concerned Citizens” who “undertook an investigation and study of the underlying factors that led up to the original destruction of Russell City.”
Ostensibly, they take 5 pages of single-space writing to spell out why they don’t think any of this is Hayward’s fault—nevermind that the City was the obvious beneficiary of everything that happened. They close by asking that the City “not fall prey to unreasonable expectations of anyone, especially those who are not from nor have ever resided in Russell City.” Which seems at direct odds with the fact that none of the authors of the letter claim to be former residents of Russell City themselves.
They close by saying they “are strongly opposed to any direct financial reparations being made by the City of Hayward.” At the end of the day, the argument is primarily about money. These folks don’t want to pay for fixing something they view as someone else’s fault. But given everything that’s happened since 2020, the demographic makeup of Hayward, and the general trend of discourse, it’s a strange hill to die on.
Of note, Planning Commissioner Ron Meyers is a member of the Hayward Concerned Citizens. It will be interesting to see whether he continues to affiliate with them, especially if he elevates his political ambitions. Fighting against Russell City reparations seems like a doomed political strategy.
The Good Stuff
As I said, there were a LOT of public comments. I’m going to highlight something from everyone—everyone was given at least 3 minutes to speak, so folks had a lot to say. I’ll also be using names for these folks as they deserve to be known and have their story shared—usually I shy away for privacy, but this feels different.
Michael V. Johnson—A strong voice for more control on the committee, he called out some of the difficulties the group had working with the City. “It feels to us like they’re trying to drive our narrative by trying to tell us what we should ask for and what we shouldn’t ask for.” He also pointed out that they didn’t get to choose the researchers or even the recommendations, “These recommendations were not recommendations that were created by—developed by the Russell City Steering Committee.”
Miriam Johnson stressed that the exodus from Russell City was “not a relocation… it was a removal.” She then pushed for substantive change, “not performance.” She closed by raising issues with the maps, which show—as best as records allow—who owned what parcels in Russell City. “We do need more time to get the full and complete story.”
Carolyn Johnson explained that they had been relocated several times: Bay View/Hunter’s Point and Oakland before finally settling in to Russell City. Pushing the economic injustice, she pointed out that her parents and grandparents owned 20 plots of land without debt. They were then forced into East Oakland and quickly became rent burdened. “We were owners. We were debt free. And now we’re full of debt.”
Sabrina Oranda gave a gut-wrenching testimony about a talk she’d had with her aunt, who was a former resident of Russell City. “‘Do you remember the fires that ravaged Russell City?’ She said, ‘Every night.’”
James Knowles, father of the two Knowles women who were on the committee, stepped up and explained why he wasn’t on the committee. “[My daughters] stepped up because they have a little more patience and a little more diplomacy than I do.” But he stressed that he was on the County-wide reparations committee and said, “When we get together at the county level, we will take action.”
Velda Gough said, “We owe it to the elders” to see some kind of restitution or reparations before they “move on to the next world.”
Gloria Moore was the whole reason that the transcript for the 1963 Alameda County public hearing was even discovered. She found it in a box in her garage, and it’s turned out to be a goldmine of information about how that otherwise forgotten meeting went.
Tony Wynn explained that her family “also owned land there in anticipation of moving to Russell City,” totaling about 1/4 of an acre. That land, she said “was stolen from us. Generational wealth was stolen from us.”
Artavia Berry, former Chair of the Community Services Commission and currently serving on the Alameda County Reparations Commission, called in to praise the recommendations. She also wanted to “ensure that we are listening to the community.”
Arthur Long Jr. recalled how he found out on his last day of school that his family had to move. They lost “almost a quarter of a block of land.” He also pushed for substantive action. “When the reparations committee came out, I told my wife ‘I’m not gonna be a part of that. Because all they’re gonna do is change the name of a street or build some kind of statue.’ So I pray that you listen to their recommendations strongly.” He continued, “Reparations are needed, and not tokens.”
Pastor Arlene Nehring of Eden United Church of Christ, home church of the Knowles family, pointed out that “there’s not just individual sin, there’s corporate sin.” She highlighted how important it is that the City is taking these recommendations seriously.
Cindy Torres recalled a conversation she’d had with her grandmother, a former Russell City resident. “She would make sure that her house was clean from top to bottom before she was removed from her home so that when they came to tear it down, they would see that decent people lived there.” She said, “it was a land grab.”
Debora Harris, former resident, also fought against the stigma that living in Russell City seemed to have. “The first time I was introduced to or heard the word ‘ghetto’ was in my 9th grade social studies class at Hayward High School, when my teacher referred to Russell City as such.” Pushing for substantive action, she said, “an apology is just words.”
Robin Randolph also spoke in an attempt to humanize the city, explaining that her family was pushed out and got nothing. All of their money was eventually eaten up by rent in the subsequent years.
Michael P. Johnson held up a map—which was difficult to see online—of what had become of his grandmother’s land. From the picture, it looked like it had become a warehouse parking lot.
Sam Navez’s comments highlighted the duality of Russell City, “[it was] only a town of four blocks by five blocks… There was a shoe shop. I don’t know why because everything was mud out there—most of it.” But he also stressed the loving community and how at-home he felt there growing up. When it came to the recommendations, he said, “We can make this work.”
Cathy Rodriguez’s remarks showcased the despair that many residents and descendants had felt about ever having anything like this happen. “I was so astonished that you guys would even apologize.” But she also wanted to keep Council accountable, “You [Council] aren’t in the position for nothing.”
Council Weighs In
When it came to council, there was unanimous support for the recommendations. Though how that support was expressed varied from Councilmember to Councilmember.
Councilmember Francisco Zermeño touched on wanting to get outside grants to fund some of the recommendations and also push for accountability at the County and State levels. He also expressed an interest in looking into any efficiencies, or ways that two of the recommendations could be taken care of at once.
Councilmember Angela Andrews thanked the CSC for pushing the initiative forward and also thanked Sam Navez for helping to keep the community together with the Russell City picnics. Councilmember Andrews also threw some faint praise at the Hayward Concerned Citizens for their “additional historical context and also a… different perspective.” She also, like Councilmember Zermeño, pushed for State, County, and Federal accountability “to address the impact of urban renewal programs.”
“The City has to take this seriously,” said Councilmember Julie Roche. “I’m not taking this lightly.” She highlighted educational scholarships, environmental justice and health, lobbying the state, and working with HUSD to improve education on Russell City. She also said, “My role is to be responsible for Hayward today and the future and make decisions that won’t create new liability for the City while also understanding our tangible past.” She continues to take the City budget very seriously.
“Your stories are truly deep, inspiring, and heartbreaking,” said Councilmember Goldstein. He was short on specifics, but seemed to be willing to take on the full list of recommendations, budget be damned. “Nothing on this list is impossible. But we have to dig deep to figure out how to make it happen and it may take a while.”
Councilmember Syrop Brings The Spreadsheet
Speaking at a break-neck pace, Councilmember Syrop started by thanking the CSC for starting the process and dismissed the comments of the Concerned Citizens. “I see us as collaborators,” he said to the residents and descendants in the audience. And then the Ideas started:
A legal agency controlled by residents and used for coordinating and controlling projects with other agencies—including scholarships and even a community fund
A Russell City Cultural Commission to pursue satisfaction projects that are culturally important, if symbolic.
A Russell City Land Trust to which the City could offload surplus land. He tied it to the displacement and housing insecurity that many former residents spoke about.
Housing Policy Recommendations, including the Rental Registry, Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), updating the Residential Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RRSO), and Community Benefit Agreements. Many of these benefit all renters, but a lot of Russell City residents became renters.
Modify existing programs to benefit Russell City descendants specifically, including down payment assistance, Economic Development programs, Capital Improvement Project priority in resident-dense areas, Impact fees from the industrial area to go to an impact fund (above), and tax rebates.
Councilmember Syrop also pushed for the State and County to be responsible—because they objectively are—, develop some kind of eligibility criteria, and also “maintain the relationships” the City has developed with the residents and descendants.
When Mayor Mark Salinas got to his turn, he said, “I’m going to ask [Councilmember Syrop] for that spreadsheet.” Beyond that, the Mayor predictably focused on education. He pushed for “guaranteed admissions” to CSUEB and Chabot for Russell City descendants—despite the fact that it’s already almost guaranteed—and also pushed for a designated counselor for them—despite counselors already being completely overwhelmed and often having over 1,000 students each.
Mayor Salinas also suggested that the City could “designate somewhere in the City a Russell City business corridor—cultural corridor in the City of Hayward,” including a giant green arch—like those on Foothill Blvd.—to be a “gateway into Russell City.”
At the end of the day, it’s really easy to sit on the dais and say things that will get applause from people who are desperate for change. “Your work is done,” the Mayor said to the crowd, “And we’re gonna move forward and see what we come up with and this will be a community effort.” Hopefully the City Council is aware that the residents and descendants of Russell City won’t be forgetting the promises that were made.
“An apology is just words,” said Debora Harris. Time will tell if the City can bring itself to spend more than just words.
Technically Hayward didn’t have a redlining map—or at least not that I’ve ever seen. But with many of the developments that cropped up, it wouldn’t have been unusual for them to bar non-white residents from buying property.