RUSSELL CITY REPARATIVE JUSTICE PROJECT
RUSSELL CITY REPARATIVE JUSTICE PROJECT
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CERES
RESEARCH GROUP REPORT
Used for Community Ranking Survey
Administered Tuesday, February 16, 2024 – Friday, March 1, 2024 198 Respondents, of which 101 Respondents Ranked the 26 Recommendations The United Nations framework for reparations was used to group twenty-six (26) recommendations in to five (5) unique categories. These categories describe different forms of reparations and are defined below. Please rank the categories with one (1) being the most important and five (5) being the least important.
Compensation
Guarantee of Non-Repetition
Rehabilitation
Restitution
Satisfaction
Compensation involves providing financial reparations for economic damages or losses resulting from violations of human rights. [1] (Ex. Compensation and Support for Russell City's Former Residents, Free Education for Descendants, & Establishment of a Community Fund).
Guarantee of Non-Repetition (or Non-Recurrence) are meant to, “[prevent] future violations of human rights and [reinforce] the rule of law, respect for human rights, and contributing to sustaining peace and development.”[2] (Ex. Policy Changes, Community Land Trusts and Housing Policies, & Revised Eminent Domain Law and Community Governance).
Rehabilitation, “should include medical and psychological care as well as legal and social services.” [3] (Ex. Environmental Justice and Health Initiatives, Educational Scholarships and Support, Russell City Community Center, & Employment and Economic Opportunities).
Restitution involves reparations that, “whenever possible, restore the victim to the original situation before the gross violations of international human rights law or serious violations of international humanitarian law occurred.” [4] (Ex. Property Restoration and Fair Compensation in Russell City, Russell City Comprehensive Housing Initiative, & Restitution for Denial of Infrastructure and Community Base).
Satisfaction includes, “the cessation of continuing violations, truth-seeking, public apologies, judicial and administrative sanctions, memorials, and commemorations.”[1] (Ex. Official Apologies and Acknowledgment, Revitalization of Russell City's Heritage and Community Spaces, & Memorials and Commemoration).
RUSSELL CITY REPARATIVE JUSTICE PROJECT
RUSSELL CITY REPARATIVE JUSTICE PROJECT
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CERES
RESEARCH GROUP REPORT
Used for Community Ranking Survey
Below are the twenty-six (26) draft recommendations. Using the arrows, rank them in order of priority with one (1) being the most important to propose to Hayward City Council, and twenty-six (26) being the least important.
Compensation and Support for Russell City's Former Residents: Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) for living former residents of Russell City.
Establishment of a Community Fund. This fund could provide a continuous financial basis for community programs and infrastructure projects.
Free Education for Descendants. To rectify past educational discrimination, descendants of Russell City should receive free education, scholarships, and living stipends for academic pursuits.
Community Engagement and Accountability: Create community advisory groups consisting of Russell City descendants, residents, community leaders, and stakeholders for participatory decision-making.
Community Land Trusts and Housing Policies: Support and fund community land trusts for affordable housing and community ownership. Encourage the adoption of inclusionary housing policies and renter's protection ordinances.
Education and Awareness Programs: In collaboration with statewide partners and educational agencies, develop school curricula that integrate the history of Russell City, forced displacement, and racial injustice. Concurrently, implement public awareness programs to promote a broader understanding of Russell City's history and the implications of forced displacement.
Policy Changes: Champion legal reforms and policies that prevent recurrences of past injustices. Tools like Community Benefits Agreements and Inclusionary Zoning should be meticulously defined, ensuring that they serve as effective safeguards against potential inequities.
Publication and Storytelling: Disseminate the history of Russell City through various media, including publications and documentaries. Advocate for mandatory inclusion of Russell City's history in educational curricula from grade school to college.
Revised Eminent Domain Law and Community Governance: Reform eminent domain laws to ensure community protection. Establish a governance body, representative of Russell City's diverse demographic, to oversee and ensure that land acquisition aligns with community welfare and interest. Advocate for legal and policy changes aimed at preventing the recurrence of historical injustices and protecting communities like Russell City.
Educational Scholarships and Support: Scholarships and living stipends for academic pursuits can act as catalysts for community upliftment, breaking cycles of poverty and discrimination.
Employment and Economic Opportunities: Grants for entrepreneurship should be extended to descendants irrespective of their location. Concurrently, businesses operating in the Industrial Park area of Hayward should be encouraged to create job opportunities specifically for these descendants.
Environmental Justice and Health Initiatives: Promote environmental justice and overall community health through specialty clinics. Mental health resources tailored to address historical and current challenges.
Infrastructure Development: Restoration requires more than just returning lands; it calls for equipping those lands with modern amenities and services to ensure residents and their descendants can build a prosperous future.
Preventing Recurrence and Legal Changes: Advocacy for changing laws and policies aims at preventing the recurrence of the injustices that Russell City faced.
Russell City Community Center: Establishing a community center within the old Russell City boundaries to foster community development, well-being, social interaction, education, and recreation.
Property Restoration and Fair Compensation in Russell City: For owners unable to reclaim their lands due to existing infrastructure or businesses, compensation must be provided at the full 2023 market value. Additionally, for lands currently under lease to companies, redirecting leaseback payments to the original owners or their descendants is a just course of action.
Recommendations Based on Human Rights and Restoration of Property: Tying restitution to universally acknowledged human rights as defined by the UN assures that the recommendations transcend local politics and biases. The focus is to achieve a universally fair and just outcome that values human dignity and liberty.
Restitution for Denial of Infrastructure and Community Base: The term 'infrastructure' encompasses more than tangible assets like sewers or roads. It includes the backbone of a thriving community: schools, healthcare facilities, parks, and other social amenities.
Historically, Russell City faced not just a physical but also a socio-cultural infrastructural deficit, impacting generations. Lack of essential services like sewers magnified the social and economic divide, making it an issue of generational wealth. Hence, proper restitution for these systemic denials is not just desirable but necessary.
Russell City Comprehensive Housing Initiative: Create a Housing Preference Policy, which emphasizes affordable housing for descendants affected by the Russell City Redevelopment Project (1963-1968) and those currently experiencing homelessness.
Education and Documentation: Create a dedicated documentary and textbooks that preserve the community's story and legacy.
Memorials and Commemoration: Memorabilia and monuments to honor the memory and contributions of Russell City's residents.
Official Apologies and Acknowledgment: Government apologies of the wrongs committed.
Recognition of Russell City Luminaries and Documentation of Contribution: Celebrate the contributions of Russell City's veterans and servicemen, athletes, entertainers, activists, and other distinguished figures through a comprehensive, permanent historical archive.
Supplement with a dedicated website displaying audiovisual testimonials from surviving community members.
RUSSELL CITY REPARATIVE JUSTICE PROJECT
RUSSELL CITY REPARATIVE JUSTICE PROJECT
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CERES
RESEARCH GROUP REPORT
Used for Community Ranking Survey
Revitalization of Russell City's Heritage and Community Spaces: Reinstatement of Russell City's original street names. Development of green spaces or parks to serve as recreational hubs, cultural centers, and educational centers.
Russell City Cultural Heritage Preservation Commission: City of Hayward should establish an independent Russell City Cultural Heritage Commission (RCCHC) to oversee preservation efforts, ensuring representation from Russell City descendants and cultural specialists. Key initiatives would encompass cultural mapping, designating a Russell City Cultural Heritage Month, founding a dedicated cultural center, and incorporating Russell City's heritage into Hayward's educational curriculum.
Transparency and Accountability: A dedicated platform that isn't controlled by the City of Hayward will ensure transparency and accountability plus safety to have trauma-informed conversations, providing information about the ongoing efforts in real-time to former residents and their descendants.
RUSSELL CITY REPARATIVE JUSTICE PROJECT
RUSSELL CITY REPARATIVE JUSTICE PROJECT
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CERES
RESEARCH GROUP REPORT
Used for Community Ranking Survey
[1] United Nations, Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law | OHCHR
[2] United Nations, Guarantees of non-recurrence | OHCHR [3] United Nations, Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law | OHCHR
[4] United Nations, Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law | OHCHR
[5] United Nations, Reparations | OHCHR