“Racist Trees” returns to Palm Springs for a one-time screening

Local politics, history, race, class and gentrification collide in the documentary, which captures an inside look at the frustrations of residents of a historically Black neighborhood in Palm Springs who were cut off from the glitz and glamour of the rest of the city by 60-foot-tall tamarisk trees that were viewed by some as redlining and a symbol of segregation.

Were they?

This revealing, nuanced documentary explores the heated controversy in all its gnarled complexity.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A with the film’s producers, residents of the Crossley neighborhood, and a representative from The Desert Sun newspaper, which chronicled the story that led to national attention.

All proceeds from the screening will benefit the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation, the Palm Springs Black History Committee and the Palm Springs Cultural Center.

Host or Publisher Palm Springs Cultural Center