Palm Springs Council Approves $5.9 Million Reparations Deal for Displaced Section 14 Residents

Palm Springs city council approves a $5.9 million reparations settlement for former residents of the Section 14 neighborhood, displaced in the 1960s. Combined with $21 million for housing and small business support, the initiative acknowledges historical injustices faced by Black families and other immigrants.

The Palm Springs city council has approved a significant $5.9 million reparations settlement for former residents of Section 14, a largely Black neighborhood that was demolished in the 1960s for commercial projects. The decision marks a rare acknowledgment of past injustices toward marginalized communities in the U.S.

Apart from the reparations payout, the council has also pledged an additional $21 million in support of housing and small business initiatives targeting former residents and their descendants. The Section 14 neighborhood, once home to Black and Latino families, experienced displacement and loss with long-lasting effects on the community.

Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein hailed the agreement as an important step toward community healing, despite uncertainties regarding the payment distribution among the 1,200 eligible recipients. This settlement follows other significant cases, such as Los Angeles County's $20 million purchase of land previously stripped from African-American owners.

(With inputs from agencies.)