America's history of racial injustice did not end with emancipation, desegregation, or the passage of civil rights legislation. Each hard-won freedom was followed by new obstacles, from discriminatory laws and racial violence to economic exclusion, institutional neglect, and unequal enforcement of the law. And You Ask Why They're Still Angry traces this history through the lives of people who fought for rights they had already been promised, examining the decisions that shaped their struggles and the consequences that persist across generations. It challenges the expectation that people should simply move on from injustices whose effects have never been fully addressed, asking a more important question: Before criticizing those who remain angry, shouldn't we examine what has actually been done to make things right?
Tag: generational wealth
Palm Springs’ Blueprint for Urban Erasure
Section 14, located in the heart of Palm Springs, was a vital residential area for Black and Latino communities from the early 1900s to the mid-20th century. As Palm Springs grew into a tourist haven, Section 14 became one of the few places where non-white residents could live due to segregationist policies. This land, owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, became a haven for working-class families who helped build the city's infrastructure. Despite its central location, Section 14 was excluded from the city's glamorous image, and its residents were subjected to substandard living conditions, ultimately leading to a brutal campaign of forced evictions and demolitions in the 1950s and 60s, erasing much of its community and history.