On the day of his address at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, National Urban League President Marc Morial calls for justice for Section 14 Survivors
Palm Springs, CA – Hours ahead of his address to the nation at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, national civil rights leader and former Mayor of New Orleans Marc Morial, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Urban League, expressed his support for the Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors as they seek a historic settlement with the City of Palm Springs for the destruction of their homes and community in the 1950s and ‘60s.
Marc Morial, who has been President and CEO of the National Urban League since 2003, previously served as Mayor of New Orleans and has been a national advocate for social justice for decades. The National Urban League (NUL) is the oldest and largest organization in the United States committed to civil rights, economic empowerment, and equality.
In his letter to the Mayor and City Council of Palm Springs, Morial stated his commitment to work with the Section 14 Survivors to elevate Black tourism and entrepreneurship in Palm Springs should the Council reach a settlement with the Survivors, stating:
“I wish to express my profound support for the settlement terms proposed by the Section 14 Survivors, which I believe are more than fair and reasonable in consideration of the historical record. Moreover, I would like to share my commitment, as the President and CEO of the National Urban League (NUL), to work in partnership with the City of Palm Springs and the Section 14 Survivors to help expand the city’s tourism base within the Black community, as described in the Survivors’ offer.
As you may be aware, the NUL regularly hosts the nation’s largest and most consequential civil rights and social justice events, boosting Black tourism and elevating the profile of the cities we visit amongst communities of color. We also have a robust, and growing, affiliate organization in Los Angeles – the Los Angeles Urban League (LAUL) – that connects local Black communities with programming focused on workforce development, education, and entrepreneurship.
Pending a settlement with the Survivors of Section 14, I commit to work with the Survivors, the LAUL, and the City of Palm Springs, to help drive Black tourism and entrepreneurship into the City of Palm Springs through events and other programming initiatives. This is an historic opportunity for the City of Palm Springs and the NUL to help the City mark a new chapter of inclusivity and hospitality to Black Americans. I believe the potential economic impact of such an initiative could be tremendous.”
In his call for a resolution, Morial now joins more than a dozen government officials, national and California-based civil rights and LGBTQIA+ rights organizations, and businesses both large and small who have urged the City Council and Mayor of Palm Springs to provide restitution to the Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors. This chorus of support includes U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler, the Human Rights Commission, Equality California, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the California League of United Latin American Citizens, and others.
“We are immensely honored and proud to have national civil rights leader Marc Morial stand in solidarity with the Section 14 Survivors as he is preparing to address the nation today,” said Areva Martin, lead counsel for the Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors. “The eyes of the nation are on Palm Springs. As we continue raising awareness of what hundreds of Section 14 families experienced – whether they were Latino, African-American, or of mixed ethnicities – we’re seeing the power of collective action and of a unified voice. These national leaders and organizations want to see a resolution with the City of Palm Springs that recognizes the past and moves us all toward a brighter future. We believe the proposed settlement that we presented to the City in July would let both parties achieve that.”
The complete letter is below, in full:
Dear Mayor Bernstein,
I wish to express my profound support for the settlement terms proposed by the Section 14 Survivors, which I believe are more than fair and reasonable in consideration of the historical record. Moreover, I would like to share my commitment, as the President and CEO of the National Urban League (NUL), to work in partnership with the City of Palm Springs and the Section 14 Survivors to help expand the city’s tourism base within the Black community, as described in the Survivors’ offer.
As you may be aware, the NUL regularly hosts the nation’s largest and most consequential civil rights and social justice events, boosting Black tourism and elevating the profile of the cities we visit amongst communities of color. We also have a robust, and growing, affiliate organization in Los Angeles – the Los Angeles Urban League (LAUL) – that connects local Black communities with programming focused on workforce development, education, and entrepreneurship. Pending a settlement with the Survivors of Section 14, I commit to work with the Survivors, the LAUL, and the City of Palm Springs, to help drive Black tourism and entrepreneurship into the City of Palm Springs through events and other programming initiatives. This is an historic opportunity for the City of Palm Springs and the NUL to help the City mark a new chapter of inclusivity and hospitality to Black Americans. I believe the potential economic impact of such an initiative could be tremendous.
The time is now to heal the wounds of the past and embark on a brighter, more colorful future for Palm Springs. I encourage you to do the right thing and accept the Survivors’ settlement proposal, and I look forward to working with you to bring this vision to light.
Sincerely,
Marc H. Morial
President and Chief Executive Officer
National Urban League
About Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors:
Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors is a non-profit group deeply rooted in the history and legacy of Palm Springs, composed of more than 1,000 survivors and descendants of Palm Springs Section 14.
Section 14, a one-square-mile area just east of downtown Palm Springs, was a vibrant community of predominantly African American and Latino residents. From the late 1950s through the 1960s, the City of Palm Springs, seeking commercial development, demolished this thriving community, destroying homes, personal property, and belongings without warning.
This destruction led to significant economic, physical, and emotional trauma for the residents of Section 14 and their descendants, who have not been able to recover the generational wealth that was taken from them. The survivors and descendants, with the support and counsel of leading civil rights attorney Areva Martin, continue to seek justice and restitution. Their mission transcends monetary compensation, it is a quest for acknowledgement of the past, communal healing, and the establishment of restorative measures that ensure such injustices are never repeated.
Learn more at Section14Survivors.com or KnowBeforeYouGoPalmSprings.com
