For centuries, Black landownership has been a symbol of freedom, self-sufficiency, and generational wealth. But time and again, that land—hard-earned and carefully passed down—has been taken, not by force in the traditional sense, but through a legal mechanism known as eminent domain.

The government’s power to seize private property for “public use” has been justified as progress—highways, parks, infrastructure. But for Black landowners, it has often meant displacement, economic devastation, and the erasure of entire communities. From the construction of the Interstate Highway System that bulldozed Black neighborhoods in the 1950s and ‘60s to the forced removal of families from land they had owned for generations, eminent domain has been wielded as a tool of systemic dispossession.

This episode of the Critical Mass Podcast dives into a case of Eminent Domain in Sparta, Georgia. 

Sparta resident, Activist, Landowner and Author Janet Paige-Smith joins us to discuss her fight to stop a railroad company from using eminent domain to take their land and upwards of 50 other families’ land.

More about Janet Paige-Smith: https://janetpaigesmith.com/

Sign the Petition: https://www.change.org/p/protect-black-owned-land-in-hancock-county-georgia

Learn more about the ADOS Advocacy Foundation: Adosfoundation.org

See our Georgia Chapter’s Press release on the issue.

Today, we’re tackling a topic that doesn’t get nearly enough attention—the urgent need for dedicated research on American Descendants of Slavery, or ADOS, and why disaggregating racial and ethnic data is essential for justice and equity.

For too long, American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS) have been lumped into broad racial categories, erasing our unique history and the specific harms of chattel slavery and Jim Crow. Precise data is needed to address the systemic barriers that ADOS face. That’s where the American Descendants of Slavery Research Institute (Adosri.org) comes in—an organization leading the charge in ensuring that ADOS identity is recognized, studied, and accounted for in public policy.

On the ADOS RI site it states, “The researchers and collaborators who contribute to the mission of the ADOS RI are committed to continued research in the current political and social climates that are increasingly hostile to academic rigor, knowledge, expertise, and justice. We are committed to collating perspectives from different disciplines in the life, behavioral, physical, and social sciences. We are committed to producing quality insights, reports, data and analyses that aid in better understanding the various impacts of life for the ADOS people group.”

Today, we’ll explore why research tailored to ADOS is critical, the impact of disaggregated data, and how institutions and policymakers can no longer afford to ignore this issue. Stay with us—this is a conversation that matters.

In the debut episode of The Critical Mass Podcast, we sit down with Yvette Carnell, Founder of the ADOS Advocacy Foundation, for a powerful conversation about the fight for reparations and the policies shaping the future of American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS).

From her childhood and early influences to her time on Capitol Hill, Yvette shares the experiences that led her to become a leading voice in the movement. We also dive into the importance of grassroots organizing, the impact of immigration policies on Black America, and why now is the time to build the critical mass needed for real political change.

Tune in for an eye-opening discussion that lays the foundation for future conversations on power, policy, and the path toward justice.

Learn more about the ADOS Advocacy Foundation at adosfoundation.org.

Become a member and volunteer in your local area: joinados.com