Special online Town Hall meetings to explore Russell City Reparative Justice proposals
The City of Hayward will hold a series of Russell City Reparative Justice Project town hall-style meetings and public comment periods to explore proposed reparative responses to the impact of local redevelopment policies on former Russell City residents.
A once unincorporated area of Alameda County located near the Hayward shoreline south of Hayward Executive Airport, Russell City was annexed into the City of Hayward as part of an early 1960s redevelopment plan that entailed the forced relocation of Russell City residents and businesses to make way for industrial development.
The Russell City Reparative Justice Project is the City’s response to a recommendation of its Community Services Commission, which called for Hayward to work with former Russell City residents and descendants to “determine appropriate restitution” for its involvement in inequitable treatment of Russell City community members.
The proposed reparative responses to be explored during the upcoming Town Hall meetings were recommendations presented to the Hayward City Council in March of this year by a Steering Committee of former Russell City residents and descendants.
The town hall-style meetings will take place online on Zoom on five Wednesday evenings in July, August and September starting on Wednesday, July 24—with each followed by a 16-day public comment period for community members to share additional feedback on the proposals. There will be Spanish interpretation available at all Town Halls.
For more information on the schedule of Town Hall meetings, proposals to be explored at each session and how to attend and participate, go online here to the Russell City Reparative Justice Project portal on the City of Hayward website and click on the Community Meetings section.
