University of Georgia pressed for memorial to Black neighborhood

Former residents of a Black neighborhood in north Georgia that was destroyed more than 50 years ago and replaced with university dorms and parking lots are demanding the university recognize their loss.

The city of Athens used eminent domain to force Black families out of the Linnentown neighborhood in the 1960s as part of an urban renewal plan. It sold the land to the state Board of Regents, and dorms and parking lots for the University of Georgia went up after the homes were razed.

Now, a group of former residents and descendants wants the university to apologize for the land seizure and create a memorial to Linnentown, which was home to dozens of Black families, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported Friday. One member of the Linnentown Project group, Bobby Crook, told the newspaper the university needs to pay compensation, though he acknowledged that may not happen.