Oral History in Black and White
By Reparations4Slavery.com
Brought to you by Reparations4slavery.com and the African American Redress Network, a collaboration between Howard and Columbia Universities.
Oral History in Black and WhiteFeb 18, 2022
Episode 1 : Black Land Loss: Eminent Domain
Eminent domain refers to the power of the government to take private property and convert it into public use. The 5th amendment provides that the government may only exercise this power if just compensation is provided to the property owners. However eminent domain has been widely used to displace black communities - and black families commonly receive less for their land than do white families. Today's episode features an interview with Wilson Moran, a member of the Harris Neck Land Trust which has been fighting to regain family property in Georgia which was taken by eminent domain during World War Two but not returned as promised after the land was found unsuitable for building a proposed airstrip James Lennox a student at the university of the District of Columbia and intern with the African American Redress Network begins the discussion.
For more information about the Harris Neck Land Trust visit their website: Home | Harris Neck Land Trust
Episode 2 - On Black Land Loss: Coersion
One of the most common ways Black families lose their land is by coercion from nearby white landowners who use all white courts to their advantage. Today's episode features an interview with Dr. Betty Kilby Baldwin, author of two books on racial justice: “Wit, Will and Walls,” and “Cousins,” whose father's property was taken by a white farmer who had originally deeded him the land. James Lennox a student at the University of the District of Columbia and intern with the African American Redress Network begins the discussion.
Episode 3: Black Land Loss: Heir's Property Law
Heirs' property is a legal term for land that is owned by two or more people, usually with a common ancestor who has died without leaving a will. It is the leading cause of involuntary land loss among African Americans. Today's episode features an interview with Josh Walden, chief attorney with the Center for Heirs' Property Preservation in South Carolina, a nonprofit working to help African American families keep their land. James Lenox, a student at the University of the District of Columbia and intern with the African American Redress Network begins the discussion.