Hyde Park

Hyde Park A Toxic History

Hyde Park, a neighborhood located just outside of Augusta, has a relatively short history that traces back to the mid-1940s. Originally, the land was owned by a horse race track proprietor but was later sold to a housing developer. While the developer constructed some rudimentary gravel and dirt streets, little else was done, leaving the responsibility of building houses to the residents themselves. In those early years, the first inhabitants of Hyde Park were primarily sharecroppers who purchased plots of swampy and undervalued land. Unfortunately, by the 1970s, the neighborhood still lacked essential amenities such as paved roads, sanitation services, and street lights. Residents relied on wells for water and grew their own vegetables in backyard gardens.

Hyde Park found itself situated amidst an industrial environment. Adjacent to the neighborhood, there were a telephone pole factory, a brickyard, a junkyard, and a power substation, with railroad tracks flanking the area on both sides. During periods of flooding, this low-lying neighborhood became a receptacle for industrial runoff, transforming it into a hazardous environment filled with pollutants. Consequently, the homes and gardens of Hyde Park were constantly exposed to these industrial toxins, posing significant challenges to its residents.

Legitimate Concerns

In 1969, the Richmond County Health Department issued urgent cautionary messages to the community’s residents. Flyers and signs advised against consuming well water or consuming food grown in personal or community gardens. They recommended wearing protective clothing while working outside, forbade children from playing in dirt, ditches, or standing water, and advised keeping windows closed whenever possible.

These warnings validated the long-held frustrations of the community, who had felt neglected by landowners, local authorities, and state governments in addressing their environmental and health concerns and initiating the much-needed cleanup of the area. Over the years, Hyde Park’s residents had suspected that their neighborhood and land were contaminated by chemical pollutants originating from nearby factories and industrial sites. The prevalence of various illnesses and cancers within the community further reinforced this belief.

Hyde Park’s conditions were not an isolated case. The majority of African-Americans struggled to afford homeownership, resulting in deteriorating dwellings and infestations of roaches in rented accommodations and housing projects. Despite numerous complaints from the community, the city failed to enforce rental property codes, allowing landlords to neglect issues such as water leaks, roach infestations, and broken steps. Regrettably, grievances expressed to city hall often went unheard. These unhealthy living conditions played a pivotal role in fueling the 1970 Augusta riot.

The 1970 Augusta Riot

The Augusta Riot emerged as a powerful uprising led by the Black community in Augusta, Georgia, and stands as a significant urban rebellion during the Civil Rights era in the Deep South. Rooted in long-standing grievances of racial injustice, police brutality, and extreme poverty, the riot reached its peak on the evening of May 11, 1970. Around 3,000 individuals actively participated, engaging in acts of looting, arson, and property damage, mainly targeting businesses owned by the White and Chinese communities. The riot impacted a vast 130-block area. In response, the Georgia National Guard, State Patrol, and county Sheriffs were swiftly mobilized to suppress the unrest.

Over two days, protesters set fire to around 30 businesses, while police shot and injured 60 residents, resulting in the deaths of six Black men. This riot profoundly disrupted the social order and sparked a fresh wave of activism, providing leverage for meaningful change. Black voters witnessed tangible progress in local politics, and momentum grew behind a significant lawsuit for school desegregation. The Black leadership of a newly established Human Relations Commission achieved notable success in anti-discrimination cases and opened up new avenues for Black employment. Despite these advancements, concentrated poverty persists as the economy shifted to low-wage service jobs, with 30% of Black households in contemporary Augusta below the federal poverty threshold. Additionally, the criminal stereotypes projected onto African Americans in 1970 unfortunately continue to persist today in Augusta and across the nation.

To tackle the extensive pollution problems at Hyde Park, several measures were taken. in 1992 The Federal Interagency Group on Environmental Justice conducted site visits and held official meetings with community representatives. These actions resulted in the successful application and subsequent awarding of a full EPA Brownfields’ Grant. This grant aimed to conduct an environmental assessment and initiate the cleanup of the area. Additionally, the City of Augusta approved various initiatives to assist residents, such as providing a homestead tax credit for owner-occupants and offering grants to bring homes up to code. Furthermore, a retention pond was constructed, and measures were taken to redirect floodwaters away from the community.

Despite the implementation of these measures, challenges related to illness and drinking water contamination continued to persist. In an effort to address the environmental injustice, the Richmond County Engineering Department developed the Hyde Park Community Relocation Plan. In 2011, the City of Augusta announced its intention to use tax revenue to demolish Hyde Park and establish a flood control pond in its place. The plan received approval in 2014, and by 2018, the last resident of Hyde Park had relocated. However, the progress of the plan has since stalled, leaving many homes demolished and vacant, falling into a state of decay. Regrettably, the neighborhood remains neglected as it always had.

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