BLACK FAMILIES that were forced out of their neighbourhood in California during the 1960s will be paid nearly $6 (£4.7) million in reparations.
The financial settlement agreed with the city, will be split among Black and Latino families who lived in a neighbourhood known as Section 14 in Palm Springs – which was later demolished and turned into a commercial development.
According to reports, $5.9 million will be paid to former residents and hundreds of descendants.
There will also be a special $10 million package for first-time buyers and a further $10 million for a community land trust.
“The City Council is deeply gratified that the former residents of Section 14 have agreed to accept what we believe is a fair and just settlement offer,” Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein said in a statement.
Lawyer Areva Martin, who is representing more than 300 former residents and hundreds of descendants, said the history of the displacement has been largely forgotten until recent years, according to a report in the Associated Press.
“The fact that we got this over the finish line is remarkable given the headwinds that we faced,” Martin said.
The lawyer also added it has not known exactly how much each family or individual will be compensated at this stage.
In 2021, the City Council issued a formal apology to former Section 14 residents, who were mainly from Black and Mexican backgrounds.
A monument acknowledging the history of the neighbourhood had also been approved.