How 99 Black Americans Gained—Then Lost—Land on an Idyllic Georgia Island
Aerial view of Skidaway Island, Georgia.Carol Highsmith/Library of Congress Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. On Skidaway Island, off the coast of Georgia, “not one blade of grass feels out of place.” Giant oak trees provide shade from the heat. Nature surrounds you, but…
The Shocking Discovery That Suddenly Made Reparations Deeply Personal for One Woman
40 Acres and a Lie tells the history of an often-misunderstood government program that gave formerly enslaved people land titles, only to take the land back. Read more here and listen to a three-part audio investigation here. Ruth Wilson squinted through her browline glasses at the image of a smudged, crumpled document on the computer screen. “To all…
This Week’s Episode of Reveal: 40 Acres and a Lie (Part 1 of 3)
Michael Johnson Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. Patricia Bailey’s four-bedroom home sits high among the trees in lush Edisto Island, South Carolina. It’s a peaceful place where her body healed from multiple sclerosis. It’s also the source of her generational wealth. Bailey built…