Why Do They Take Our Land | Highlighting Involuntary Black Land Loss

At one point in our nation’s history, Black families owned approximately 15 acres of land across the country. Of that, however, in the 21st century, 90% of that land had been stolen. Why do they take our land, how did they get away with it then and how are they continually allowed to do so? Let’s break it down.

Why Do They Take Our Land?

Since the beginning, developers, white farmers, and corporations have used loopholes and trickery to steal land from African-American owners. Today, African Americans own just 1.1 million acres of farmland. Without a transfer of ownership in place or a will made when someone died, the land was equally divided among families. As those family members died, it became easy for outsiders to buy the land. They did this simply based on a lack of communication between family members and legal loopholes. And since many of the landowners lived on a fixed income, rising property taxes became an easy way for developers to swoop in during an auction and acquire the land in this way. 

Playing in Our Elder’s Faces

There has been a long and steady history of similar methods playing out over the years, Black families losing their land to greedy developers but the problem and unfairness of it all is finally coming to light. Take, for example, the story of Hilton Head resident, 93-year-old Josephine Wright. Wright has been battling with developers over her property for years. 

Wright’s 1.8-acre property has been her family for more than 100 years. Since earlier this year, developer, Bailey Point Investment has continued to harass Wright about the placement of her satellite dish, shed, and screened-in porch, saying that those parts of her property are keeping them from building their proposed 147 homes. 

In recent months, a GoFundMe has been set up to assist Ms. Wright in her battle; celebrities and lay people across the board have contributed. In fact, Tyler Perry recently posted to Instagram, “Ms. Wright, please tell where to show up and what you need to help you fight.” If you’d like to contribute, visit the GoFundMe and assist the Wright family in fighting corporate greed and essentially, flat-out racism. 

So, to answer the question, why do they take our land, it really is as simple as, because they think they can get away with it, and they do. Thankfully, word is getting out – as evidenced by Josephine Wright’s GoFundMe – but we still have miles to go before things finally change.

Black Involuntary Land Loss in Hilton Head and Beyond

Hilton Head is just one area in South Carolina where things like this keep happening. From Myrtle Beach, through Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and Beaufort, developers are seeking land for new homes, vacation homes, and hotels. Black property owners across the state are involved in similar legal battles.

The Mississippi Delta

One key factor we often forget about too, is that it’s not just local developers wanting to build homes and put in shopping centers; no, this is much bigger than all of that. If you’ve heard of the pension firm TIAA, you may be surprised (or not) to know that the corporation owns over 80,000 acres of farmland in Mississippi. How do big corporations like this come about all of this property? You guessed it; centuries of theft. Theft first against the Native Americans and then after Emancipation, theft from African Americans.

Silver Dollar Road

A recent documentary, Sliver Dollar Road, recounts the struggle a North Carolina family faces when a developer eyes their 65-acre property with hopes to build upon it. The documentary by Raoul Peck will be released on October 2023 and hopes to bring this familiar plight to the mainstream.

A Stolen California Beach

Involuntary Black land loss doesn’t just happen in the Southeast. In 1924, California seized property owned by Willa and Charles Bruce. Black families were forced from the community by the KKK. Descendants of the Bruce family, finally received their beachfront land back from the city in 2022. You can show your support with a visit to Bruce’s Beach the next time you’re in the Los Angeles area.

It may seem as though we as a community are progressing. But, there are countless stories where things are just still as backward as ever. It’s one step forward, two steps back for many of us. The system as it stands; systemic racism, was never set up to allow us to truly get ahead. Those in power use the system in their favor. They make and change laws and legislation to work in their favor, thus leaving us to scramble for every inch of what belongs to us.