THE APOLOGY, a feature-length documentary by Mimi Chakarova, investigates an incident in the 1960s in which Alameda County and the City of Hayward dismantled the entire community of Russell City, pushing 1,400 residents out of their homes and off their land – all to claim the 200 acres for an industrial park.
Most of the residents ended up in Russell City in the first place because Black and Latino families could not purchase homes or land elsewhere. For them, the unincorporated area, located south of Oakland and across the bay from San Francisco, was a beloved village – with 13 businesses, seven churches and 205 families. All of this was lost in 1963.
Join us for a Q&A with Filmmaker Mimi Chakarova and producer Aisha Knowles after the screening
This program is part of the Tarea Hall Pittman Social Justice Series. This series honors the legacy of Ms. Pittman’s social justice activism that positively affected the lives of people in California. Programming topics and formats are diverse but the goal of each event is to bring awareness and promote discussions related to human rights, social privilege, and equal opportunity.
Thank you to the Berkeley Public Library Foundation and the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library for their support of this event.