Avoiding Dispossession Loopholes
What can we do, in 2023 and onward, after so much Black involuntary land loss (20 million acres by 1910; 14+ million acres since)? The lesson learned is to hold on tighter to those few acres of blood, sweat and generational tears that remain in the sacred core of our ancestors’ hopes, dreams and fears. Disparities in the social justice systems and our inability to secure and sustain these systems are still in the troubling stage. This is why a plan for the transfer of your property (a will or transfer on death deed) should be the first order of your land ownership business. DO IT!
If you are an heir property owner, your next priority is to make sure that all property taxes are coordinated by a reliable person; with another reliable person periodically checking with the tax assessor to make sure that all taxes are up to date and that proper names and addresses are on file. Millions of acres of Black land have been lost because of negligence in this, the responsibility, department.
If possible, stay in contact with or know the whereabouts of all heirs so that if someone wants to sell, an effort from the blood heirs can be made to buy the land; thereby keeping the property among heirs with similar concerts about the legacy of the inheritance. The dreaded partition sales are known to sneak in when outside interest sneaks into what should be family business.
Recently, some of my cousins did a family genealogy search and created a family tree which was displayed at one of our family reunions. (“Thank you Gary, Pumpkin and Don)”. This is an excellent way of connecting the family dots and seeing who is included in the legacy, i.e., who the past, present and future heirs are and were. This is also a paper trail that establishes our ownership in our property in the absence of a will. There are other legal benefits to this highly recommended paper trail, and you need to consult a lawyer to discuss them.
Talk to your descendants about the sacredness of inherited responsibilities. Help them to see the importance of estate planning, heritage, legacies; and where applicable, patrimony. Even if you have very little to leave behind, your legacy is invaluable because it speaks to the endless possibilities of your descendants. When I was running barefoot in and out of the tiny house and playing up and down the SeSe Road with my cousins, I had no idea that all those oaks and pines that cooled us during the day and shaped the skyline at night was my father’s, and ultimately, my inheritage. I don’t know why my Dad did not announce to the world that he had received such a rich and generous legacy. Over the course of my life, I could have really benefited,— in more ways than I care to mention– from this information. LESSON LEARNED!
Finally, be the star in your own show. Consider the endless possibilities that can spring forth from your sacred, bloodlined, culturally and ethically connected group “(such as a land trust or a family LLC).” Embrace the idea that “Mighty oaks from small acorns grow.” Even if these possibilities seem remote; explore them anyway and see where they lead. You may be surprised. John Henry and Sally Davison Fountain were mighty oaks — and trailblazers —-that sprang from small acorns.