Justice delayed.
The California legislature voted its final approval, Thursday night, on a bill that would return a chunk of Manhattan Beach stolen from a black family in 1924 back to descendants of the original owners.
Bruce’s Beach, as it came to be called, was purchased by Willa and Charles Bruce in 1912. The couple built a resort for black families on the land during the Jim Crow era. Racist neighbors, fearing the resort would drive down land prices, used dirty tricks to first condemn the property then seized it using eminent domain. Manhattan Beach then passed a law forbidding the Bruce’s from moving their resort anywhere within its borders.
The structures were razed and, years later, the property eventually became a park.
The bill now only needs a signature from embattled governor Gavin Newsom, who was once my mortal enemy, and then back it goes.
Duane Shepard, a Bruce descendant and family historian, told the Southern California News Group, “I’m elated, walking on water right now. This is one of the greatest things in American history right now.”
A happy story and it must be wondered if increasingly frustrated Kauaians aren’t peeking over Mark Zuckerberg’s Garden Isle fence thinking about getting those 1300 acres returned too.
Cracks etc.
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Cool, now can EVERYONE who had land stolen using eminent domain get their property back? California’s use of eminent domain was beyond the pale for some time. TONS of land stolen in Central California and then used for nothing or later sold off for a profit
One has to think; racism is an obvious evil, but is eminent domain just as much a villain in this story? How many families have lost their homes across LA to build the freeway system? Not to mention all the Mexican-Americans who lost their property at Chavez Ravine when the Dodgers moved from BK…
PS. surfed 28th street (Bruce’s beach) this morning, really fun today with this pulse of south/NW windswell combo.
The only reason they’re getting their land back is because they’re black. California has used eminent domain on tons of coastal properties, then done nothing with the land that justifies doing so.
Don’t pretend you get south swell up there.
ha! well yea that’s (mostly true), enough to keep us from driving down to huntington though
Well we’re moving on up 🎶
In other news, Valiant Scorn’s family will now sue them and take the land back from those invaders. That, and all of West of the Mississippi. That is all….
Didnt realize you are First Nation. Which one?
Teton Sioux
Lol
The Chumash thought the Sioux were hillbilly Vals.
EVERYTHING west of the Mississippi!!
Upvote 1000 for knowledge…..
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
Enjoy this with peyote….
You on point Phife?
Looks like some tribe has beaten you to it.
Chief Duane Yellow Feather Shepard, a descendant of and representative for the Bruce family.
African invaders by way of the Dutch.
Much respect! Can us with a bit of Cherokee blood get in on that?
Only if the descendants of all the tribes the Cherokee victimized can sue them right afterwards!
Everyone should sue everyone then sue em all again right after. That’ll even the score
You are an interesting dude Valiant. I don’t always agree with you but you speak from a place of very strong credibility on this issue.
Congratulations to the Bruce family for getting their land back. Hopefully they will also sue the city of Manhattan Beach and be compensated for being forcibly evicted from their own property.