Descendants of California's Bruce's Beach has been returned to black family who really owned it
Pictured in back row from left, Anthony Bruce with wife Sandra Bruce, Kavon Ward- who started the Justice for Bruce's Beach movement, and Chief Duane Yellow Feather Shepard, a spokesperson for the Bruce family. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
In 1912, the Bruce family made their way to California. Willa Bruce purchased two lots right by the sand where they soon ran a popular lodge, cafe, and dance hall. A few more black family’s came to the property and built their own homes next to the sea. Soon the Bruce’s and their guest faced threats from white neighbors, the Ku Klux Klan, and local real estate agents.
Bruce’s Beach lots
In 1924, after failed harassment from racists neighbors and organizations, city officials forced the black residents off of their property. City officials condemned the neighborhood and seized over 2 dozen properties claiming an urgent need for a local public park.
In 1948 the property remained empty and no park was built. The two oceanfront properties own by Willa and Charles Bruce were transferred to the state. In 1995, the property was transferred to the county. The other properties were owned by the Manhattan Beach, which was claimed by white developers. The Manhattsn Beach property was the ancestral homelands of the Tongva people. It is still built on what is known today as Manhattan Beach.
Bruce Beach Park in Manhattan Beach of Los Angeles,CA
In 2020, the Bruce family began to fight back and get their family's land back. The family joined forces with Supervisor Holly Mitchell, and Sen. Bradford, who rallied state lawmakers and the governor to authorize transferring the land back to the Bruce family. George Fatheree, a real estate transaction lawyer, represented the Bruce family pro bono. He worked with county officials to unravel every step of the process. They conducted lengthy genealogy studies, overcame a legal challenges, and completed a complicated economic analysis to determine the value of the property.
Bruce’s Beach Sign
In a heartfelt ceremony on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, over a dozen of people gathered on the oceanfront property known as “Bruce’s Beach”, marking the first time the government ever returned land that had been wrongfully taken from a Black family. This triumphant run to a call for justice has captivated the country for the past two years.
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According to the Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles County will now rent the property from the Bruces for $413,000 a year and maintain a lifeguard facility there, according to a detailed plan released last month. The lease agreement also includes the right for the county to purchase the land at a later date for $20 million, plus any associated transaction costs.
"Today, we're sending a message to every government in this nation confronted with the same challenge: This work is no longer unprecedented," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who had launched the complex legislative and legal process to transfer the property. "We have set the precedent, and it is the pursuit of justice."
Looking at the Bruce Family, Hahn told the official land owners, “… we can't change the past, and we will never be able to make up for the injustice that was done to your great-great grandparents and great-grandparents, Willa and Charles, nearly a century ago. But this is a start…”.