A California property called Bruce's Beach was officially returned to the Black family it was stolen from nearly 100 years ago
Jae C. Hong/AP Photo
- Bruce's Beach in California was formally returned to the Black descendants it was seized from in 1924.
- Charles and Willa Bruce ran a resort for Black families until their land was seized by the city via eminent domain.
- The Bruce family plans to lease their newly-returned land back to the city for $413,000 a year.
A California beachfront property called Bruce's Beach was returned to the Black family that it was stolen from nearly a century ago.
The deed for the property in Manhattan Beach was presented to members of the Bruce family, who are descendants of Charles and Willa Bruce, who bought the property in 1912 and turned it into a resort for Black families, The New York Times reported.
"On one hand, it's the answer to our prayers," said Anthony Bruce, one of Charles and Willa's great-great-grandsons, per the Times. "It's the relief that we've been waiting for. But on the other hand, it's a reminder of the terrible and tragic events that took place before this happened."
Charles and Willa Bruce were the subjects of racist harassment by their white neighbors, and at one point, the Klu Klux Klan attempted to burn the property down, according to USA Today. In 1924, the property was seized via eminent domain by the Manhattan Beach Board of Trustees, who wanted to build a park on the land.
"It is well documented that this move was a racially motivated attempt to drive out the successful Black business and its patrons," said the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in a motion returning the property to the Bruce family, according to the Times.
The city of Manhattan Beach paid Charles and Willa Bruce $14,500 for their property at the time they seized it, according to the Times. In a ceremony on July 20, 2022, Charles and Willa's great-great grandsons accepted the title for the property, which they plan to lease back to Los Angeles County for $413,000 a year.
According to the Times, the Bruce family's lawyer, George Fatheree III, said he believes this was the first time the government returned stolen land to a Black family.
"I believe that this should be the beginning," Anthony Bruce said, per the Times. "Let this be the drop that creates the ripple that creates the wave that creates the tsunami that covers the country."