Race, reparations and Bruce’s Beach: What you need to know about the story
In a history making vote, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an unprecedented plan to return Bruce’s Beach to a Black family that had been run out of Manhattan Beach almost a century ago — paving the way for more efforts by the government to rectify historic injustices that were racially motivated.
Catch up on The Times’ coverage of the issue.
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A new plaque at Bruce’s Beach acknowledges the racist act of eminent domain that destroyed what had been a haven for Black families and beachgoers.
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After almost three years of controversy and fraught debate, Manhattan Beach unveiled a new Bruce’s Beach monument and sought to mark a chapter of healing.
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Not everyone is happy the family of Willa and Charles Bruce are selling their beachfront property for $20 million, just months after it was returned.
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County officials say the Bruce family has agreed to sell the Bruce’s Beach property in Manhattan Beach back to Los Angeles County for nearly $20 million.
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In a heartfelt ceremony, Los Angeles County completed the historic land return of Bruce’s Beach by handing the deed to its rightful Black heirs.
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In a history-making vote, Los Angeles County supervisors unanimously approved a plan to return Bruce’s Beach to a Black family.
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In a detailed plan made public for the first time, Los Angeles County officials have spelled out how the Bruce’s Beach transfer will occur.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom authorizes returning the land known as Bruce’s Beach to the descendants of a Black couple that had been run out of Manhattan Beach.
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The return of my family’s land will let us do what countless American families have done since our country’s founding: inherit property and build wealth.
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Where the federal government has failed, California enacted new laws that will finally address police misconduct and set an example for reparations.
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Manhattan Beach won’t apologize for running Black property owners out of town 100 years ago, but a county official seeks to make restitution.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom has authorized the return of property known as Bruce’s Beach to the descendants of a Black couple who had been run out of Manhattan Beach almost a century ago.
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A Black family once owned a beach in Southern California. The government took it away. Now, in what could be a landmark in this nation’s efforts to correct past injustices to African Americans, Los Angeles County wants to give Bruce’s Beach back to the family who once owned it.
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Of course Manhattan Beach and Los Angeles County should return Bruce’s Beach to the family from which it was wrongly taken, or else pay for the land. This kind of acknowledgement and reparation necessarily raises all kinds of questions about thefts from others, including land from indigenous Californians and labor and dignity from Black Americans, but the controversy over those questions is no reason to slow redress for the historically recent racist taking of the Bruces’ land.
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Before Manhattan Beach shut it down, Bruce’s Beach was a famous Black-owned beach resort. Now, some want the city to atone for its actions.
