Palm Springs Votes to Move Bogert Statue to Village Green

The City of Palm Springs has decided to locate a statue honoring former Mayor Frank Bogert at Village Green, moving forward with the placement despite strong opposition from Section 14 Survivors, their descendants, and community advocates who argue the decision ignores a painful chapter in the city’s history.
Bogert, who served multiple terms as mayor beginning in the late 1950s, is often credited with helping transform Palm Springs into a world-renowned resort destination. However, his legacy remains deeply contested due to his administration’s role during the forced displacement of Black and Latino families from Section 14 of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation — a once-thriving community located in what is now downtown Palm Springs.
Between the 1950s and 1960s, homes in Section 14 were systematically cleared through city-sanctioned evictions, fires, and demolitions, leaving hundreds of families displaced with little to no compensation. Survivors and descendants have long asserted that city leadership at the time, including Bogert, either enabled or failed to stop these actions, which were later acknowledged by the city as a grave injustice.
For many in the community, placing Bogert’s statue at Village Green — a prominent public space intended for reflection, gathering, and civic pride — sends the wrong message.
“This is not about erasing history,” advocates have repeatedly stated. “It’s about telling the full truth and honoring those who were harmed.” Section 14 Survivors and their families argue that celebrating a figure tied to their displacement without equal recognition of their suffering reinforces long-standing patterns of exclusion and marginalization.
During public comment and commission meetings, residents urged city leaders to reconsider the location, propose additional historical context, or delay placement until meaningful engagement with Section 14 families could occur. Some called for monuments that honor the resilience of displaced residents instead, or for the city to prioritize memorialization and education efforts centered on Section 14.
Despite these appeals, the city ultimately approved Village Green as the statue’s location.
The decision comes at a time when Palm Springs continues to publicly reckon with its past. In recent years, the city has issued formal apologies, established the Section 14 Survivors Committee, and approved limited compensation for those impacted by the displacement. For opponents of the statue, however, the Bogert placement feels disconnected from those reconciliation efforts.
“To move forward with honoring a former mayor at a central public space while the wounds of Section 14 remain unhealed undermines the city’s stated commitment to justice and equity,” said one descendant during public comment.
The controversy highlights broader questions about how Palm Springs chooses to remember its leaders and whose stories are elevated in public spaces. As cities across the country reassess monuments tied to historical harm, the debate surrounding the Bogert statue underscores the importance of inclusive decision-making and community-centered historical narratives.
While the statue will stand at Village Green, the conversation surrounding Frank Bogert’s legacy — and the ongoing fight for recognition and dignity for Section 14 Survivors — is far from over. Community members and advocates say they will continue pushing for fuller acknowledgment of the past and for public spaces that reflect the experiences of all who helped build Palm Springs, not just those in power.