Feb. 24, 2026
Family sues Piedmont over 1920s ouster of Black homeowner
Descendants of Sidney Dearing sued Piedmont, alleging officials colluded with residents and used eminent domain to drive him from his home in 1924 because of his race, depriving the family of valuable property and equal protection rights.
The family of Piedmont's first Black homeowner, Sidney Dearing, is suing the East Bay city for allegedly forcing him out of his house in the 1920s.
Plaintiff Jordana Ackerman, represented by Seyfarth Shaw LLP and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, sued the city in Alameda County Superior Court, alleging it colluded to force Dearing out of his house, which is now worth $2 million. The plaintiffs say the local police at the time refused to protect Dearing from racia...
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