Member Of Bruce's Beach History Advisory Committee Resigns

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA —Dr. Isla Garraway, a member of the Bruce's Beach History Advisory Committee, resigned Wednesday following the City Council meeting at which members called for additional revisions to the language on the proposed plaques.

The Manhattan Beach resident and UCLA surgeon announced her resignation in an email to the council.

"This circuitous process reflects a Council that appears unable to fully accept the history of Bruce's Beach and fulfill their duty as elected leaders to bring the community forward and initiate acceptance and closure," she told Patch.

Garraway sat on the Bruce's Beach History Advisory Committee alongside Tyler St. Bernard, Lindsey Fox, and Kristin Long Drew.

In a statement that Garraway released to Patch, she wrote:

"It was an honor to be selected by City Council to serve on the Bruce's Beach Task Force and the History Advisory Board. My mother grew up in the Jim Crow South, and I learned a lot about the indignities of racial segregation through her recounting of her firsthand experiences.

"Consequently, when compiling our report, I delved deeply into the broad range of recoverable historical documents that detailed the discriminatory treatment of the Bruces, their guests and other Black families who resided in Manhattan Beach at the time. Uncovering and acknowledging the truth of what happened was our charge. We did that in the history report, and the City Council was on the right side of history when it voted to accept this report.

"Now the Council must lead the Manhattan Beach community in accepting the facts meticulously documented in the report and reflected in the proposed plaque language. I resigned because when the City Council began refuting the facts derived from the report that it had previously accepted, it was clear that I could no longer play an effective role.

"I will be rooting for our citizens and elected leaders to find the courage, empathy, and resolve needed to honor the legacy of the Bruces, and to help ensure that what happened to the first Black families to take up residence in Manhattan Beach will never be repeated. It is time to accept the plaque language proposed by the History Advisory Board and move on to show the world how inclusive our city can be."

Isla Garraway is a surgeon-scientist and principal investigator of a UCLA laboratory that is focused on characterizing human prostate stem and tumor-initiating cells, as well as biological and micro-environmental interactions that influence metastatic progression.