COLOMA, Calif. (AP) — In a tiny town where the California gold rush began, Black families are seeking restitution for land that was taken from their ancestors to make way for a state park now frequented by fourth graders learning about the state’s history.
Their efforts in Coloma, a town of around 300 people that’s located about 36 miles (58 kilometers) northeast of Sacramento, are one of the latest examples of Black Americans urging the government to atone for practices that have kept them from thriving long after chattel slavery was abolished.
Debates over reparations for African Americans often come back to land. That was at the center of a promise originally made — and later broken — by the U.S. government to formerly enslaved Black people in the mid-1800s: Give them up to 40 acres (16 hectares) of land as restitution for their time enslaved. For some, the promise of reparations has been nothing more than Fool’s gold, epitomized by a bill in Congress that’s stalled since it was first introduced in the 1980s, even though it’s aimed at studying reparations and named after the original promise.
History of Land Displacement
The fight in Coloma is taking place in a state where the governor signed a first-in-the-nation law to study reparations. But advocates are pushing for the state to go further.
Gold was found near Coloma in 1848 by James W. Marshall, a white carpenter, setting off the California gold rush that saw hundreds of thousands of people from across the nation and outside of the U.S. come — or be brought — to the state. Those who migrated included white, Asian, and free and enslaved Black people.
Decades later, Black and white families had their land taken by the government in the town before it was turned into the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, which opened in 1942. The park today is home to a museum, churches and cemeteries where residents were buried. A nearly 42-foot (13-meter) monument of Marshall stands on its grounds.
Revisiting History
But the history of Black families who settled in Coloma only recently started getting increased recognition. California State Parks launched an initiative in 2020 to reexamine its past and to tell “a more thorough, inclusive, and complete history” of California, department spokesperson Adeline Yee said in an email to The Associated Press. The department created a webpage with information about properties owned by Black families at the park in Coloma.
Elmer Fonza, a retiree who worked at a brewery in California before eventually relocating to Nevada, said he is the third-great grandson of Nelson Bell, a formerly enslaved Black man from Virginia who became a property owner in Coloma.
Seeking Restitution
Jonathan Burgess, a Sacramento resident who co-owns a barbecue catering business, is one of the individuals claiming land in Coloma as belonging to his ancestors. He believes that acknowledging and rectifying the injustices done to Black families is essential for reconciliation. Making it right would mean compensating families for land that can’t be returned or returning property where possible.
Cheryl Austin, a retiree living in Sacramento, also seeks restitution for her ancestors, John A. Wilson and Phoebe Wilson, a free, married Black couple who came to Coloma during the late 1850s. Their property was sold through probate after their passing.
The Legislative Landscape
The restitution fight in California comes as lawmakers are considering reparations proposals in the state Legislature. These proposals aim to help Black residents research their family lineage and make families whose land was seized unjustly due to racially discriminatory motives entitled to compensation or property return.
State Sen. Steven Bradford, a Los Angeles-area Democrat, stressed the significance of land ownership in building generational wealth, indicating that reparations are not just about monetary compensation but also about restoring land.
Implications of Recent Developments
Recent milestones like Gov. Gavin Newsom’s allocation of $12 million in the state’s 2024 budget for reparations legislation indicate a growing commitment to addressing past injustices. However, practical details about how the funds will be used and the long-term financial implications remain to be clarified.
The inclusion of reparations legislation highlights the pressing need to rectify the injustices faced by Black families, particularly in cases of land displacement due to eminent domain practices. The successful return of a beachfront property to a Black couple in Los Angeles County serves as a prime example of the potential impact of corrective measures.
Associated Press photographer Godofredo A. Vásquez contributed to this report.
Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna
