OAKLAND, California — After more than two years of research, community listening sessions, and deliberation, the Alameda County Reparations Commission presented its 170-page draft action plan to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, laying out recommendations to address historic harms experienced by Black residents across six areas including housing, education, economic opportunity, and health.
The plan calls for direct compensation for victims of previous property displacement — including families forced from the unincorporated community of Russell City near Hayward, which the county formally apologized for displacing in 2023 — as well as scholarships and educational grants for Black students, low-interest loans and grants for Black-owned businesses, and a healthcare initiative directly funding health services for Black residents.
The commission, created by the Board of Supervisors in March 2023, originally had a July 2024 deadline that was extended to 2026 after officials said additional time was needed to "effectively address the complexities surrounding reparations policy." Over two and a half years, the 15-member body conducted 18 community listening sessions and two formal feedback sessions across all five county districts.
Among the plan's structural recommendations is the creation of a permanent Alameda County Office of Reparations to oversee implementation and a dedicated county reparations fund. Board approval on Tuesday would constitute formal acceptance of the recommendations, though additional legislative action and funding decisions would be required before any policies take effect.