Bruce's Beach To Be Main Focus At Tuesday's City Council Meeting

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA—The Manhattan Beach City Council will hear final recommendations from the Bruce's Beach Task Force Tuesday on how to move forward regarding the land seized from a Black family almost a century ago.

Most of the meeting will most likely be dedicated to this issue and public comments are encouraged, according to Manhattan Beach Mayor Suzanne Hadley.

In 1924, the City used eminent domain to force Willa and Charles Bruce off the land they lived on, where they ran a resort for Black families. The property, which is located on Highland Avenue at 27th Street, is currently owned by Los Angeles County and houses the county's lifeguard headquarters and training center.

When the task force was formed last fall, their mission was to address the beach's accurate history, rewrite the inscription on a plaque at the park, and consider art installations to honor the Bruce family legacy.

The Task Force released a report last week stating that its mission has expanded since its creation last October.

"We believe that a more expansive program of history, art, education, and community engagement is needed—a program that should integrate into a regular part of the city’s civic life," the report said.

Hadley says the public is invited to comment both before and after the Task Force presentation.

"This is the first time we will be seeing the final report, and we're looking forward to hearing what they have to say," Hadley said. "We welcome all residents of Manhattan Beach to make a personal comment and look forward to a full and vigorous discussion."

The City Council encourages the public to participate by submitting comments in advance of the meeting, no later than 4 p.m. on Tuesday via:

1) eComment at http://www.citymb.info/ecomment
2) email to cityclerk@citymb.info
3) telephone message recorded at (310) 802-5030

All comments provided by the deadline above will be available to the City Council and the public prior to the meeting.

To participate in the meeting, join via Zoom:

Direct URL: https://citymb-info.zoom.us/j/93376200363, Meeting ID: 933 7620 0363

Click here to review the agenda.