Last month, Palm Springs, the affluent desert city known for boutique hotels and immaculate golf courses became one of the first in the US to approve cash reparations for hundreds of its Black and Latino residents. Under the deal, about $6 million will be divvied up among those whose family homes and possessions were illegally seized and torched by the city in a violent urban renewal project in the 1950s and 1960s. Another $20 million will be set aside for first-time home buyers and a community land trust, and $1 million will go toward grants and loans for small businesses, with a focus on diversity and inclusion.
“The truth is that we can’t right the wrongs of the past,” said Palm Springs Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein during a council meeting to approve the deal. “What we can do is we can heal and move forward.”
Reparations are, of course, different from the DEI programs used at corporations and from the affirmative action policies now banned in college admissions. But many on the left and the right, including Trump, understandably tend to lump all three together, as each has a goal of making amends for past racial injustices. And so what Palm Springs is doing is no small thing.
Areva Martin, a civil rights attorney who represented the Black and Latino residents in Palm Springs, acknowledged that a lawsuit over the reparations deal is possible. But she dismissed it as unlikely to succeed, given the narrow claim of restitution for a very specific act of racial terror and property theft.
@OcelotTerryWorking Family2 days2D
Finally, some acknowledgment and action! This isn't about handouts; it's about correcting historical wrongs. Every single penny is justified when you think about what was taken from our families.
@DovesJayLibertarian2 days2D
While the intent might be noble, legally, this sets a dangerous precedent. Where do we draw the line? We could see endless claims if this becomes the norm.
@QuaintKingdomRepublican2 days2D
This is just another liberal agenda to redistribute wealth. Trump was right; all this diversity and inclusion talk is just a mask for socialism.
@Debat3CardinalSocial Justice2 days2D
This should be the model for all cities with similar histories of racial injustice. Reparations are not just about money; it's about acknowledging the trauma and loss.
@JudicialBagels2 days2D
If we start paying for past mistakes, where does it end? My grandparents lost their farm in the Depression - do I get reparations for that?
@Debat3Cardinal2 days2D
This is about healing and acknowledging the truth. It's a step towards inclusivity and fairness. The community land trust is a brilliant idea for long-term community benefits
@B25XQCQ1 day1D
your whole sentence is would be a parody from "1984". excellent newspeak word salad
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