For more than 100 years, the Smith family has owned and worked their land in Hancock County, Georgia. Descendants of enslaved people who once labored on nearby plantations, they built generational stability from soil that once symbolized oppression.

Now, that land is under threat.

The Georgia Public Service Commission granted Sandersville Railroad eminent domain authority to seize private property to build a rail spur tied to a quarry project. While framed as “economic development,” the project would cut through one of the largest continuous Black-owned farms in the state and bisect working farmland that families rely on for their livelihood.

Eminent domain was originally intended for clear public necessities such as roads, schools, and essential infrastructure. Over time, its definition has stretched to include private economic development projects that primarily benefit corporations rather than communities.

This is not just about one rail line. It is about whether Georgia law allows private companies to use state power to take land from families who have held it for generations.

Black land ownership has steadily declined across the United States over the past century due to legal maneuvering, discrimination, and forced sales. When eminent domain is used for private gain, it often falls hardest on rural and historically marginalized communities with limited political power.

We call on the Georgia General Assembly and the Governor of Georgia to reform the state’s eminent domain laws by:

• Narrowing the definition of “public use” to exclude projects that primarily serve private economic interests
• Requiring heightened scrutiny when eminent domain impacts historically Black-owned property
• Mandating stronger proof that a project serves a clear, broad public necessity before condemnation authority is granted

Economic development should not come at the expense of generational survival.

Land is more than property. It is heritage, livelihood, and legacy.

Sign this petition to demand that Georgia protect generational Black land and reform eminent domain laws to prevent private industrial projects from displacing families who have already endured centuries of injustice.