Today marks more than 66 years since the destruction of the Indigenous and Mexican communities of Palo Verde, La Loma, and Bishop. These neighborhoods were self-sustaining communities — growing food, raising animals, supporting local economies, and creating homeownership opportunities for people of color at a time when redlining and racist covenants barred such opportunities elsewhere in Los Angeles.

Our communities were described by our ancestors as one giant rancho with one giant familia. They thrived through mutual support, self-governance, and care for the land.

On May 8, 1959 (Black Friday), the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, with city agencies, forcibly removed the remaining families resisting displacement. Residents were dragged from their homes, arrested, and watched in horror as bulldozers destroyed the neighborhoods. The land was then handed over to the Los Angeles Dodgers for $1.

The Illegal Deal

On July 14, 1958, Judge Praeger ruled against the City of Los Angeles, declaring its contract with the Dodgers void. He called it “an illegal use of public funds, a manifest abuse of discretion, and beyond the power of the city to enter into.” He condemned the city’s decision to vacate public streets for the Dodgers as “an illegal act — a sale of city streets — a violation of the public trust.” Despite the court’s warning, the city and Dodgers proceeded, a classic political pay-to-play deal between corporate power and elected officials. The theft of our homes was rooted in corruption, greed, and racism.

Today, many Los Angeles communities face similar destruction. Brown and Indigenous neighborhoods such as Echo Park, Lincoln Heights, Highland Park, Boyle Heights, Hollenbeck, Elysian Valley, Chinatown, South Central, Watts, and Wilmington continue to be displaced due to gentrification and corporate investment.

Ongoing Dodger Violence

The violence hasn’t stopped — it has evolved.
The Los Angeles Dodgers organization continues to profit from and invest in systems of removal, using our own Brown community dollars — ticket sales, merchandise, and sponsorships — to fund gentrification, displacement, and detention systems. Many of the people harmed are the very communities whose money supports the Dodgers — Indigenous, Mexican, and other Brown people, often racialized and labeled as “immigrants” to justify systemic harm.

Through financial ties with private prison and immigrant detention companies such as GEO Group and CoreCivic, and sponsorships connected to ICE operations, the Dodgers are complicit in modern forms of family separation, immigrant detention, and policing. Just as they worked with the city to destroy our neighborhoods in 1959, they continue to enable systems that displace, incarcerate, and terrorize Brown communities across Los Angeles.

Who We Are

Buried Under the Blue is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization made up of grandparents, parents, and descendants of Palo Verde, La Loma, and Bishop. Our mission is to rewrite the narrative, preserve the histories of our communities, and demand justice for the harm caused. We provide education, leadership training, oral history, advocacy, and community organizing rooted in the values of our ancestors.

Our Demands

Public Apology
We demand a public apology from the Los Angeles Dodgers, City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, and all agencies involved in the destruction of our neighborhoods and the robbing of generational wealth.
Reparations for All Families
We demand reparations for both homeowners and renters whose families were displaced, reflecting both economic loss and community trauma.
Three Community Centers
We demand the establishment of three community centers, named Palo Verde, La Loma, and Bishop, under the guidance of Buried Under the Blue. These centers will serve as hubs for historical preservation, education, and community programming. We request annual funding for their construction and operation from the Los Angeles Dodgers, City of Los Angeles, and Los Angeles County.
Historical Monument
We demand the erection of a federally, state, and city-recognized historical monument in memory of the destroyed communities and residents. The monument shall be located either in the original area of the neighborhoods or near Palo Verde Elementary School.
Acknowledgment of the Kizh Nation
We respectfully request that the Los Angeles Dodgers, City of Los Angeles, and relevant agencies engage in a conversation with the Kizh Nation to honor their sovereignty and determine how the return of ancestral lands might be addressed. Buried Under the Blue does not speak for the Kizh Nation, but we support their right to determine their own path forward.
Join Us

We ask all supporters to sign this petition in honor of our ancestors and survivors. The fight for justice continues, and we demand truth, accountability, and reparation.

Buried Under the Blue
www.buriedundertheblue.com

Thanking you all in advance for your support,

Buried Under the Blue and the residents of Palo Verde, La Loma, and Bishop 

Want to learn more visit us at www.buriedundertheblue.com

Click here to see The Dark History of Dodger Stadium part 1