Century-Old Injustice Redressed by Hahn

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Bruce’s Beach via The Manhattan Beach Historical Society

Bruce family goes toe-to-toe with Manhattan Beach City Council

In a second update to this story, on April 20, the Board voted unanimously to support two items regarding Bruce’s Beach, both authored by Supervisor Hahn and co-authored by Supervisor Holly Mitchell:

Item 8: Returning Bruce’s Beach to its Rightful Owners— Instructs the County CEO’s Office to report back in 60 days with a plan for how to return the property to the Bruce family including a timeline,  options for how to address property tax issues after the transfer, and plans for the County to either lease the property from the Bruce family or relocate the County Lifeguard facility currently at the property. 

Item 9: Los Angeles County Sponsor (SB) 796—  Would make Los Angeles County an official sponsor of CA Senate Bill 796 introduced last week by Senator Steven Bradford. The legislation is necessary because when the State transferred the property to the County in 1995, the deal restricted the County’s ability to transfer the property. SB 796 would lift these restrictions and allow the County to transfer the property to the Bruce family. 

Hahn said she hopes this work will be a model for other governments to follow.

After nearly a century an injustice brought upon the Bruce family in Manhattan Beach stands to be repaired. On April 9,  LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, at a seaside press conference in that beach city, made formal LA County’s intentions to return the beachfront property to the direct descendants of the Bruce family. 

Upon hearing the story behind Bruce’s Beach, Hahn set out to correct a wrong and to get justice for the Bruce family. In 1912, Willa and Charles Bruce purchased two parcels of property in Manhattan Beach for $1,225. The couple built the first beach resort owned by and built for Black Americans when segregation prevented them from going to the majority of other beaches. Black families travelled great distances to be able to bask in the sun on the California coast.

But many white residents, as well as the wealthy San Pedro real estate developer George Peck, were not happy about these events — or the popularity of the resort. They harassed the Bruces and the Ku Klux Klan tried to burn down the resort. Ultimately, in 1924, the Manhattan Beach City Council robbed the Bruces of their land through eminent domain, claiming an “urgent need” to build a park. After it was left unused for many years, the land was transferred to the state in 1948. No park was built until 1957 and then in 1995 it was transferred back to Los Angeles County. Racial covenants in real estate deeds, commonly known as “red lining’ were not outlawed in California until the California Supreme Court ruled in the 1967 case, Reitman v. Mulkey.

Most of the South Bay, all of Palos Verdes and much of San Pedro were segregated by this method.

Bruce’s Beach press conference on April 9. From left to right: State Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, Chief Duane Yellowfeather Shepard — representative of the Bruce Family, former Manhattan Beach Mayor Mitch Ward, LA County supervisors Holly Mitchell and Janice Hahn, and State Sen. Steve Bradford. Photo courtesy of Supervisor’s Hahn office.

Hahn seized upon the 1995 transfer of the land back into county hands as an opportunity to right an historic wrong. Hahn enlisted numerous allies in the state legislature to make this goal a reality. 

State Sen. Steven Bradford — who is a new appointee of the state reparations task force — April 12, introduced Senate Bill 796, which he authored to allow the county to transfer the property back to its rightful owners. The 1995 transfer included restrictions that limited the county’s ability to sell or transfer the property and could only be lifted through state law. If the law passes, the transfer to the Bruce descendants must be approved by the Board of Supervisors. 

SB 796 will have an urgency clause, which requires a two-thirds vote of both houses because the authors of the bill want it enacted this year. Without an urgency clause it would only take a simple majority but it wouldn’t go into effect until next year, with the governor’s signature, Bradford explained. 

 “If you can inherit generational wealth, you can inherit generational debt.” Sen. Bradford said at the dais. “I look forward to getting this legislation signed into law this year.”

State Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi said as co-author of SB 796, he will be fighting for a measure of justice for the descendants of the Bruce family. Bruce’s Beach was only one of two “so-called” Black beaches in LA County 100 years ago. 

“A lot has changed over the last 100 years,” Muratsuchi said. “But we still need to work for a lot more change but as a representative of Manhattan Beach … I know [this] is not a racist city … There are good people … like Mayor Pro-tem Hildy Stern who was fighting for an apology from the City of Manhattan Beach to the Bruce family for what happened 100 years ago.” 

Muratsuchi noted in 1988 President Ronald Reagan apologized on behalf of this country to the more than 110,000 Japanese Americans who lost both their property and their freedom because of the unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. 

“Of course President Reagan didn’t have anything to do with the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII,” Muratsuchi said. “ … He was big enough to give an apology on behalf of the USA to all people of Japanese ancestry for the loss that they suffered during WWII. So, if [he] could do it, the mayor and city council can do it.”

Representing the Bruce family was Chief Duane Yellowfeather Shepard, who said we all know the shenanigans of the Manhattan Beach City Council. 

“My family asked me to tell the city council that when you go low, we stand toe-to-toe,” Shepard said. “We will not tolerate the insults that are coming from your city council and we highly suggest that you start revising your budget very soon. My name is Chief Duane Yellowfeather, the designated representative for Charles and Willa Bruce.”

Shepard shared an — at the very least — tone deaf account, for those who didn’t know. The “slave master” of Willa Bruce’s mother gave the name “Willy” to the young Willa, who eventually “threw off that name,” deciding to be called Willa. But someone on the Manhattan Beach City Council decided to refer to Willa by that slave name — a “slap in the face to the memory of our matriarch,” Shepard said. 

Then the city council issued an acknowledgement but no apology.

“They say the events — the terrorism — that happened to my family was ‘reportedly done,’ events are ‘ostensible,’” Shepard said. “And people say I’m angry? I am. I am from the generation that Charles and Willa prayed for and we’re going to stay here until the job is done.”

One of three options is on the table for the transfer to the Bruce family; transfer the property back to the Bruce family; transfer the land with a ground lease back to LA County to continue the lifeguard operations on the site, paying rent to the Bruce family; determine the property value and make a monetary payment to the Bruce family.

Hahn acknowledged Kavon Ward, founder of Justice for Bruce’s Beach, for raising this issue to the public’s eye and for helping her to understand. Ward made reference to receiving death threats, intimidations and dog whistles but said they won’t silence her. 

“Now is the time for reckoning,” Ward said. “Reparative justice is what we seek. Apologize, make amends, pay restitution to the Bruce family. 

“Manhattan Beach,” she called, “restoration and reconciliation is not the sole responsibility of LA County, but thank you, Supervisor Hahn and Sen. Bradford for taking accountability and for positioning yourselves on the right side of history. Thank you for being waves in this movement with me … as we, the movement is on the precipice of making history.”

“And the people say, ‘Amen!’” said Hahn.

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