Sequoia Riley, PhD
East Texas
Between 1910 and 1990, Black American landowners lost 90% of their land nationally. Black people now comprise 2.4% of Texas property owners despite being 12% of the Texas population. This trend will be exacerbated as Texas is expected to be one of the states with the greatest rural land loss by 2040.
Black landowners in Texas face disproportionate challenges in retaining land ownership and building generational wealth due to several factors, which include historical disenfranchisement, heirs’ property issues, undervalued offers, tax pressures, and limited access to legal and financial resources.
HARC is leading a collaborative initiative called, To Preserve Land and Generational Wealth for Black Farmers & Landowners, to help address these systemic barriers through research, community engagement, and implementation of supportive legal, educational, and economic strategies.
In partnership with East Texas Black farmers, landowners, and community organizations, HARC aims to support Black farmers and landowners by collaborating with them to equip each other with the tools, training, legal assistance, and technical support to protect land ownership, enhance property value, expand income opportunities (including solar development), and strengthen community resilience.
