Black family sues Piedmont over 1924 seizure of their home

Descendants of Sidney and Irene Dearing seek remedy for loss of property and generational wealth

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

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Nearly a century after Piedmont's first Black resident was driven from his home through threats, violence and what attorneys now call a fraudulent use of eminent domain, descendants of the Dearing family have filed a lawsuit against the city seeking a remedy for the loss of their property and generational wealth.

Why it matters

The lawsuit highlights a historic case of racial discrimination and exclusion, as the Dearing family endured a sustained campaign of intimidation, including threats of lynching, cross burnings, brick-throwing and attempted bombings, before being forcibly expelled from their home. This case is part of a growing national movement to acknowledge and repair such historic racial takings.

The details

In 1924, Sidney Dearing, a descendant of Native Seminoles, purchased a home in Piedmont for $10,000. On May 6, 1924, an angry crowd of about 500 white residents gathered outside the family's home, demanding the Dearings give up the property and leave the city. The family endured a sustained campaign of intimidation, including threats of lynching, cross burnings, brick-throwing and attempted bombings. The city then falsely claimed it needed the property for public use and filed an action in court to condemn the property, before selling it to a white person just months later. The Dearing family dispersed, and Sidney Dearing later died alone and in poverty.

  • On May 6, 1924, an angry crowd of about 500 white residents gathered outside the Dearing family's home.
  • On June 19, 1924, the city filed an action in Alameda County Superior Court seeking to condemn the Dearing property.
  • The Dearing family lived in the home for less than a year before being forced to disperse.
  • Sidney Dearing died in 1953, alone and in poverty, and is buried in an unmarked grave in Martinez.

The players

Sidney Dearing

A descendant of Native Seminoles who purchased a home in Piedmont in 1924, only to be driven out through threats, violence and what attorneys now call a fraudulent use of eminent domain.

Irene Dearing

Sidney Dearing's wife, who endured the campaign of intimidation against the family alongside her husband.

Legal Defense Fund

The nation's first civil rights law firm, founded in 1940 under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall, which is representing the Dearing family's descendants in the lawsuit against Piedmont.

Leah Aden

Senior counsel at the Legal Defense Fund, who is leading the lawsuit against Piedmont.

Meghan Bennett

A Piedmont native and librarian who uncovered the Dearing family's history during archival research and published her findings on sidneydearing.com in 2020.

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What’s next

The city of Piedmont has 30 days to respond to the lawsuit or request additional time.

The takeaway

This case highlights the need to acknowledge and repair historic racial injustices, such as the forcible expulsion of Black families from their homes through intimidation, violence, and fraudulent use of eminent domain. The lawsuit seeks to hold Piedmont accountable and provide a remedy for the Dearing family's loss of property and generational wealth.