Sidney Dearing and his family, the first African American homeowners in the city of Piedmont, California, were forced out of their home within a year nearly 100 years ago because of racism. Their great-grandchildren are now suing the city, seeking justice for the lost home and the generational wealth it could have provided.
In January 1924, Sidney Dearing, a successful businessman from Oakland, bought a house in Piedmont. At the time, local laws made it nearly impossible for Black people to own property. To work around this, his white mother-in-law bought the house for $10,000 with Dearing’s money and transferred ownership to the family, according to ABC 7 News.
The Dearings’ life in the home was marked by constant threats. Hundreds of neighbors protested, mobs gathered outside, bombs appeared near the property, and the family received letters threatening lynching. Within just a year, the city moved to condemn the property, claiming it needed the land for a road that was never built.
Two weeks ago, the family filed a lawsuit arguing the city used eminent domain to forcibly evict them because they were Black. The complaint highlights how the eviction blocked other Black families from owning homes in Piedmont for decades.
“This is a wealthy enclave. And the people who were not forced out of Piedmont have been able to enjoy the value of their home. The municipal services that come with living in that community. That high-quality education that comes along with living in that community,” said Leah Aden of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, representing the family.
Experts and former city officials say the case shows how deeply racism shaped Piedmont and other American cities. While the city has supported a memorial to acknowledge the past, the family says that is not enough. The house is now worth more than $2 million. The lawsuit seeks compensation for lost wealth, opportunities, and benefits of homeownership that Sidney Dearing never received.
Aden said Sidney Dearing died in poverty despite his success, and the lawsuit aims to correct the historic injustice and recover what the Dearings were unfairly denied.