39th Annual Palm Springs Black History Month Parade & Town Fair

Before I get into the parade, town fair, and the catfish that stopped me in my tracks… 🤣 I want to start with something that matters.

Section 14.

If you’re newer to Palm Springs or you’ve only experienced the polished, postcard version of the city, you may not know this history. Section 14 was a one-square-mile area near downtown where many Black and Latino families lived beginning in the early 1900s. In the 1950s and 60s, families were forcibly removed. Homes were burned or bulldozed. People were displaced without real relocation support.

Generations lost their homes. They lost stability. They lost the opportunity to build wealth in a city that would later become globally recognized.

The Section 14 survivors are still with us. Some are still fighting for full justice and recognition. The city has taken steps in recent years to acknowledge what happened and begin the process of repair, but when you remove people from their homes, the ripple effects last for decades.

That history matters, especially at an event like this.

Now… let’s talk about the parade.

Joseph and I have been trying to be more intentional about how we spend our time and where we show up. So when we saw the 39th Annual Palm Springs Black History Month Parade & Town Fair was happening, we knew we wanted to be there. Not just to attend, but to be present.

And the community showed up.

There were marching bands, dance teams, cheer squads, local businesses, and community organizations. I even met a new connection from CalHFA! The energy was high from start to finish. And my personal favorite? The Double Dutch group! Listen. The coordination. The rhythm. All while walking in the parade... it was EVERYTHING! 😍

After the parade, we headed over to the Town Fair at Downtown Palm Springs Park. Vendors everywhere. Music. Laughter. So much food. We even signed a couple of petitions.

And that catfish. 😋🤤

I’m not exaggerating when I say it stopped me mid-conversation. Everything smelled good, but that catfish? It was like heaven hit my nose. 😃

Being in real estate has completely changed how I see the Coachella Valley. I didn’t grow up here. I’ve been here about 10 years. Joseph has been in the desert since he was 7. We’ve talked about how he didn’t really experience Palm Springs the way people imagine it until he was older and started working in the city.

And now we experience Palm Springs in a unique way through my career. I get to walk through some of the most prestigious gated communities in the country. It’s exciting. I love what I do.

But I also have to hold space for the reality that while some neighborhoods were being developed and marketed, others were being erased.

Real estate isn’t just contracts and keys. It’s history. It’s policy. It’s who was allowed to stay and who wasn’t.

That doesn’t make me love what I do any less. If anything, it makes it more meaningful. Because helping families buy homes and build equity here feels bigger when you understand the past.

I’m grateful the city has taken steps toward acknowledging what happened in Section 14. Nothing can undo it. But acknowledgment matters. Action matters. And showing up matters.

That’s what this parade felt like. Joy, resilience, culture, and community — all in one space.

As a local gay Black and Puerto Rican Realtor, I’m proud to serve the entire Greater Palm Springs area. Real estate, to me, is about access, opportunity, and helping people create something lasting for themselves and their families.