Promises made, payments delayed: Reparations work moves slowly in Alameda County, elsewhere

Promises made, payments delayed: Reparations work moves slowly in Alameda County, elsewhere

Every few months, James Knowles receives an email saying he’ll soon be updated on efforts to address a 63-year-old injustice. Knowles, 74, and his family — and his entire community — lost homes and business when their mostly Black and Latino neighborhood, known as Russell City, was cleared through eminent domain. “This is the same thing they’ve been doing, passing the buck and kicking the can down the road,” Knowles said. “It’s smoke and mirrors…