West Side Flats researchers push for apology, reparations from St. Paul city leaders
A new plan for reparations in St. Paul began with research revealing the troubled past of the former West Side Flats neighborhood that left thousands of people displaced.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS first reported a week ago that the West Side Community Organization (WESCO) and St. Paul city leaders were in talks about a possible apology, financial reparations and reinvestments on the city’s west side after more than 430 families and 2,500 people were displaced in the West Side Flats neighborhood between 1960 and 1962 to make way for an industrial park and flood wall along the Mississippi River.
RELATED: Former West Side Flats residents in talks with St. Paul about possible apology, reparations
WESCO partnered with the company Research in Action to find descendants of the families, most of whom were African-American and Mexican-American, who were paid little or no money to move out of the West Side Flats.
Research in Action CEO Dr. Brittany Lewis told KSTP her organization had researched city records to find out the names of the families who were pushed out of the West Side Flats and determine the value of their relocation money, if any, was in today’s dollars.
“What was paid out was nowhere near the word equitable and didn’t account for the entire household,” said Lewis.
Lewis said if someone lived in a two-room place, the relocation payout, according to city records, amounted to $377 in current value.
“That’s what it would have gave you. Good luck. You can’t do anything with that, for real,” said Lewis. “Everyone has to come together and buy into change needs to happen and we have to recognize what took place and we all need to be implicated in the change.”
She states that former West Side Flats residents all want reinvestment on the west side, along with an apology, and some would also like personal financial reparations. Ultimately, that is something the city of St. Paul and the Port Authority will have to determine.
Lewis said Research in Action will present a final report to city leaders in late June or early July.