Local politics, news media, race, class, and gentrification intersect in the documentary “Racist Trees” set to premiere on Independent Lens.
The documentary film captures an inside look at the frustrations of residents of the historically Black Lawrence Crossley Tract neighborhood, who are cut off from the glitz and glamour of Palm Springs, due to the planting of 60-foot tamarisk trees that overshadow the community and are viewed as a symbol of segregation.
Directed by Sara Newens and Mina T. Son, Racist Trees will debut on PBS’s Independent Lens on January 22, 2024, at 10 p.m. (check local listings). The film will also be available to stream on the PBS App.
Allegedly planted by the city in the late 1950s to line the 14th fairway of a city-owned golf course, these trees have become the focal point of frustration and animosity for locals who see the trees as an enduring symbol of segregation. For decades, residents have been forced to put up with the tangled overgrowth from a species so invasive, they officially have been categorized as a pest by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“After spending time with the community, we learned of the troubling legacy of systemic racism that extended even beyond these trees,” said co-Directors and Producers Sara Newens and Mina T. Son in a joint statement. “It quickly became clear that this story about the erasure of a small community—consisting of only 76 homes in a far-off corner of Palm Springs—is a microcosm for the issues that people face across the United States today.”
Much of Palm Springs inhabits Indigenous land, and the Agua Caliente tribe rented land to Black and Latino families who were discriminated against elsewhere in the city. After the land gained value, residents were forcibly displaced throughout the 1950s and ‘60s as the local government set fire to homes without providing a place to relocate. Many families had no choice but to take up residence just outside city limits or leave town altogether, but others found refuge in Crossley Tract.
In stark contrast, some Palms Springs residents oppose the tree removal, denying any racial animus while others have spent decades advocating for removal motivated by property values and agricultural issues in addition to the racial optics. When the conflict makes headlines, a firestorm of local politics and international media puts into question the progressive reputation of Palm Springs.
“‘Racist Trees’ reveals how cities can be racist and how even good people, when operating in an unjust system, perpetuate institutional racism,” said Lois Vossen, Independent Lens executive producer. “A row of 60-foot tall tamarisk trees opens a window into segregation’s history for African Americans and Native American Cahuilla Indians on a local scale, that also played out in communities large and small across the U.S.”
Watch the trailer for Racist Trees.