Priscilla

Figueroa

Back to the Russell City Reparative Justice Project Steering Committee ⇒

I have been with the City of Hayward / Russell City Group since its first meeting on June 1, 2021.  I retired from Xerox Corporation in 2000 as a Sr. Quality Assurance Engineer, and after retirement became a Notary Public and Notary Signing Agent.  

My family started attending the little Apostolic Church on Mississippi Street when we came from Mexico in August 1956 when I was 13 years old.  After it closed its doors around 1958 my family started attending the Apostolic Church on Adams Street also in Russell City.  I met my husband James R. Figueroa who lived there, and we were married on June 23, 1962.  He passed away on February 7, 2017.

His parents Faustino and Rachel Figueroa and grandparents Maurilio and Maria Chavez lived in Russell City owning their homes there on Adams Street.  Jim and I had two children Laura J. and James R. Figueroa Jr., who are descendants of the family.

Bringing to the table to the Committee:  I was appointed Citizen at Large for Alameda County by Supervisor Charlie Santana.  In 1973 when HUD began I put a proposal to help my neighborhood on Santa Clara Street, from the railroad tracks to the 880 Freeway and North to A Street, the unincorporated area which at the time had no sidewalks and my father was killed crossing the street by a speeding car trying to avoid the mud on our side of the street. The City of Hayward owned Santa Clara Street and refused to put sidewalks because properties were in Alameda County.  This encouraged me to fight even more.  My proposal included sidewalks, free of charge, home repair grants, and low interest loans, for property owners of the area called Happyland which also had an area on the West side of the 880 Freeway,.  Later on, 10 feet of land on sidewalks on El Dorado Street were given to homeowners, deeded to them to be part of their property, and a Mini Park which I had the privilege to name “La Placita” and guest of honor at the inauguration by Alameda County Supervisors, Planning, Public Works Management and HARD.

I am excited and thankful to be part of this core group on behalf of Russell City residents asking for Reparation.

Learn more about Priscilla Figueroa, review Steering Committee nomination forms and statements: 

Candidate Questionnaire Follow-up Question(s) Candidate Statement Recording