California's Alameda County authorizes payments to former Russell City residents for being displaced in the 1960s

Chase Hunter, The Mercury News on Oct 30, 2026

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SAN JOSE, Calif. — Former Russell City residents will be issued payments up to $25,000 per household for their forced displacement by Alameda County and the city of Hayward in the 1960s after the Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to authorize payments from the Russell City Redress Fund.

By authorizing payments, former Russell City residents will receive compensation for not only losing their homes but also their community. Once living former Russell City residents are compensated, the fund will expand eligibility to descendants and other families members.

“Together, we have an opportunity to honor Russell City’s legacy, stand with the families who continue to carry its history, and demonstrate that acknowledging past wrongs must be accompanied by meaningful action,” Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Marquez, whose district encompasses the former community, said.

Russell City was a historic community located in what is now West Hayward. More than 1,400 people, mostly Black and Latino residents, lived in the town where famous jazz artists like Ray Charles and “Big Mama” Thornton performed at local music venues.

In the early 1960s, Alameda County declared Russell City a blighted community, leading to the displacement of residents so the city of Hayward could annex the area for the development of an industrial park.

Russell City property owners received only nominal payments for their homes, with the average payout being $2,000 while some households received as little as $250, according to the Russell City Reparative Justice Project.

In November 2021, the Hayward City Council issued a formal apology on behalf of the city for its role in the racial discrimination and displacement of Russell City residents. But that was only a first step.

Hayward launched the Russell City Reparative Justice Project in June 2022 to review historical documents, gather academic research, connect with survivors and develop proposals to redress former Russell City residents.

Alameda County issued its own apology to Russell City residents in November 2023 and joined Hayward’s effort to compensate them.

Using recommendations from the Russell City Reparative Justice Project, Hayward and Alameda County established a joint redress fund, now totaling $1.4 million. The funding comes from various sources – $100,000 from the Alameda County Office of Education, $250,000 from the city of Hayward and $950,000 from the Board of Supervisors.

“These contributions reflect our shared responsibility to acknowledge the profound harm caused by the forced displacement of approximately 1,400 residents and the destruction of a historic community,” Marquez said. “While no amount of money can undo the injustice or restore what was lost, these investments represent a meaningful step toward accountability, healing, and restorative justice.”