African

Judge Grants Railroad Authority to Claim Land from African American Farmers

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Montgomery, Alabama – A recent court ruling has determined that a major freight railroad has the right to seize land owned by a Black farming couple in Lowndes County, Alabama, to build a major rail bridge and an expanded rail terminal. The decision underscores the ongoing challenges of land ownership and the tensions between development prospects and farmland preservation. The legal fight began when Norfolk Southern Railway invoked eminent domain to expropriate approximately 350 acres of land owned by the Eddie and Dorothy Long family. The Longs, who have nurtured crops on this land for … Read more

Top UK Lawyer Jeremy Connick Joins Bowmans to Bolster African Projects, Eyes Major Infrastructure Growth in 2025

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Johannesburg, South Africa – Bowmans, a leading law firm with a pan-African presence, is set to enhance its Projects and Infrastructure Practice by appointing Jeremy Connick as a consultant from January 2025. Connick, a seasoned UK-based lawyer, brings over 35 years of experience working in Africa and is recognized for his extensive knowledge in energy, natural resources, and infrastructure transactions. The chairman and senior partner at Bowmans, Ezra Davids, expressed enthusiasm about Connick’s upcoming role, noting that his vast experience and expertise would significantly bolster the firm’s projects and infrastructure capabilities. Connick’s arrival coincides with … Read more

Decades After Apartheid, South African Woman Battles to Reclaim Family Home Lost Due to Gender-Biased Property Laws

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Johannesburg, South Africa – At age 74, Johanna Motlhamme finds herself battling a decades-long struggle to reclaim her family home in Soweto, after a legal oversight linked to apartheid-era laws allowed her ex-husband to sell the property, stripping her and her four children of their inheritance. This plight underscores a systemic issue faced by numerous Black families amid South Africa’s complex history of racially skewed property laws. During apartheid, harsh laws barred Black individuals from owning land, a restriction that lingered symbolically into the dawn of democracy. Although the post-apartheid era brought about reform aimed … Read more

West Nyack’s Mount Moor Cemetery: A Portal to African American Heritage and History

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West Nyack, NY — The Palisades Center, one of America’s largest shopping malls, is battling a major financial crisis as it faces foreclosure due to unpaid debts that have escalated over time. Currently, the mall’s management is under the supervision of a temporary receiver appointed by a state Supreme Court judge, an indication of the severity of the financial woes it is encountering. In August, Justice Francis A. Kahn III mandated Chris Neilson, managing partner of Trigild IVL, LLC, to oversee the operations of the shopping center. Neilson’s role involves managing leasing agreements, collecting rent … Read more