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.
Manhattan Beach, CA — Today, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn Sept. 30, will join Gov. Newsom as he signs SB 796, legislation that will give LA County the authority to return property once owned by Willa and Charles Bruce to their descendants.
Bruce’s Beach was once a thriving resort for Black residents. But in the 1920s, the City of Manhattan Beach used eminent domain to take the land, under the guise of building a park.
In April, Hahn announced her intention to return the now county-owned property to the Bruce family. However, she needed state legislation to allow the transfer. She brought the idea to State Senator Steven Bradford who authored the legislation which got unanimous support in both the Senate and Assembly.
Hahn has released the following statement:
“This is a milestone for us, and I want to thank not only Governor Newsom for signing this bill into law, but Senator Bradford for his leadership and the entire state legislature for their unanimous support. The work is far from done. Now that LA County officially has the authority to transfer this property, my goal over the next several months will be to transfer this property in a way that not only works for the Bruce family, but is a model that other local governments can follow. Returning Bruce’s Beach can and should set a precedent for this nation and I know that all eyes will be on Los Angeles County as this work gets underway.”
Tomorrow, Sept. 31, Hahn will introduce a motion directing the county to prepare to accept the amended deed from the state (the state has until the end of this year) and pursue a process to identify the legal heirs of Willa and Charles Bruce.
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