Aiyana Knowles (back left), Elizabeth Moran Sanchez (left), Priscilla Figueroa, and Aisha Knowles of the Russell City Reparative Justice Project Committee examine photo albums from Russell City in Figueroa’s living room in Hayward, Calif., on Thursday, July 27, 2023. The RCRJP is dedicated to creating recommendations for reparations for the destruction of the vibrant Black and Latino community in the 1960s. Figueroa was an active member of her church in Russell City and was married there. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group). Img source: www.mercurynews.com
April 24, 2024 Story by: Editor
Russell City is often referred to as the Bay Area’s lost city. The story of its disappearance is a dark chapter in the history of Alameda County, and residents continue to advocate for education and reparations.
“We’re not talking about somewhere in the South … we’re talking about somewhere that’s in the heart of Alameda County,” said Aisha Knowles, whose father, James, was raised in Russell City.
In the 1960s, Russell City, predominantly home to Black and Latino residents, was bulldozed and sold to developers. This action displaced approximately 1,400 people, destroying homes and businesses. Presently, the area where Russell City once stood is part of unincorporated Alameda County in Hayward, stretching from Winton West and Hesperian to the vicinity of Hayward Regional Shoreline Park.
James Knowles recalls how his family, along with many others, was uprooted when Alameda County and Hayward sought to develop an industrial park. His father lost his business during this upheaval. Reflecting on this, he states, “the city is gone, but the memories live on … elected officials did this over a dollar. There was a game they had and they fulfilled it because they had the eminent domain card.” Source: NBC Bay Area
Today, Aisha Knowles is dedicated to uncovering her family’s history, advocating for reparations, and ensuring that this history is taught.
In the first installment of our series, “Race in America: the Conversation,” Jodi Hernandez delves into this often overlooked and seldom discussed history.
