Section 14 Survivors organization to mark agreement anniversary with community summit

The Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors organization will host a community summit Nov. 15, marking one year since the city and survivors and descendants of Section 14 reached an agreement on reparative justice.

Approved by the Palm Springs City Council in November 2024, the compensation package includes roughly $6 million in direct payments, as well an allocation of $20 million in city funds over 10 years for affordable housing programs. An additional $1 million will support a small business program for marginalized entrepreneurs in Palm Springs over five years.

The agreement represents one of the largest municipal reparative justice agreements in U.S. history and addresses the racially motivated displacement and property destruction that occurred in Section 14.

The summit, titled “Healing, Accountability, and Moving Forward,” will begin at 10 a.m. at St. Paul in the Desert Church, 125 West El Alameda. The program will include workshops on racial healing and trauma recovery, as well as a town hall addressing the settlement’s implementation, including the Palm Springs Homeowners Assistance Program.

Board Chair Pearl Devers will introduce the newly reformed Section 14 Survivors Board during the town hall and present the organization’s plan for advancing reparative initiatives for survivors and descendants.

“The one-year anniversary is not just a moment to look back, but to look forward,” Devers said in a statement released Monday. “This summit is about healing, unity, and ensuring that survivors and descendants are fully informed and engaged in shaping the future promised by this historic settlement.”

Areva Martin, civil rights attorney and lead counsel for Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors, emphasized the settlement’s broader impact.

“What was accomplished in Palm Springs has had ripple effects throughout the state of California and the nation,” Martin said. “This … settlement represents one of the most significant acts of municipal reparative justice in the country and serves as a model for communities seeking accountability and healing.”

During the Nov. 15 event, an interfaith service will begin at 3 p.m., featuring local faith leaders who advocated for Section 14: Rev. Dan Kline, Rev. Jessie Thompson, Rabbi David Lazar, Minister Debra Mayfield and Pastor Sharron Manriquez Simon. The service will include performances by singer and pianist Greg Jones and the Folklorico Dance Team.

Guest speaker Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, a pastor and civil rights leader who supported the survivors and descendants, will deliver a keynote message on faith, equity and perseverance.

A community reception will follow the interfaith service. The event is free and open to the public, and participants are encouraged to register via Eventbrite.

The summit is presented by Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors, Inc. and supported by Special Needs Network and The Weingart Foundation.

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