40 Acres and a Lie Part 3
The loss of land for Black Americans started with the government’s betrayal of its “40 acres” promise to formerly enslaved people—and it has continued over decades. Today, researchers are unearthing the details of Black land loss long after emancipation. “They lost land […]
The loss of land for Black Americans began with the government's broken promise of "40 acres" to those who were formerly enslaved, and this pattern has persisted over the years. Researchers are now uncovering the extent of Black land loss that followed emancipation. Karcheik Sims-Alvarado, an assistant professor of Africana studies at Morehouse College, explained that this loss was caused by various methods such as racial intimidation, where individuals were forced off their land to flee, often at night, to a different location.
Additionally, Black Americans suffered from overtaxation and eminent domain, which further contributed to the loss of their land. Over time, these issues have led to a wealth gap that is deeply rooted in slavery. Today, local government task forces across the country are conducting truth-finding missions to examine this history at the state, city, and even county levels, in hopes of finding ways to repair this wealth gap for Black Americans.
Written by urgent.news from Mother Jones's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
