City Votes For Acknowledgement And Condemnation Of Bruce's Beach

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA —The Manhattan Beach City Council voted for an "acknowledgement and condemnation" of the Bruce's Beach incident at Tuesday night's meeting.

Following two hours of public commentary, mostly in favor of an apology, the council voted 4-1 with Mayor Suzanne Hadley and Councilmembers Joe Franklin, Steve Napolitano, and Richard Montgomery voting in favor while Mayor Pro Tem Hildy Stern gave a dissenting vote.

The council did not consider three other resolutions of apology—one proposed by the disbanded Bruce's Beach Task Force, one by councilmember Napolitano, and one by Mayor Pro Tem Stern.

"I based my statement of acknowledgment on Councilmember Napolitano's version, which I thought was really good," Councilmember Franklin told Patch. "But I felt that a lot of residents who often remain silent did not want to issue an apology based on an incident that occurred 100 years ago. The situation was despicable. No one disputes that. But I believe people feel an apology now would ring hollow ... I believe in my bones that Manhattan Beach is not a racist city...and this statement is the way forward"

The issue in question occurred in 1924 when the City used eminent domain to force Willa and Charles Bruce off the land they lived on and 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.

Per Franklin's proposal, the city council will offer a statement by "the City of Manhattan Beach acknowledging and condemning the city's role in the racially motivated condemnation of properties in the area known as Bruce's Beach."

Both Napolitano and Stern's proposals asserted that an apology was necessary and appropriate, with Stern stating, "This is about decency...If we don't apologize, we send a message that the city does not care...It's time to do more."

Napolitano and Stern say they were advised by the city attorney that an apology would not create a risk of liability for future legal actions.

While Mayor Hadley said that she understood the "power of an apology," she was not willing to put the city at any potential liability risk.

"Issuing an apology from a city with deep pockets, where we’re an attractive target, that is a risk too far," Hadley said during the meeting. "If we do not avoid litigation, we will pay. I'm here to protect the city's budget."

Hadley said her concern was that any litigation would adversely affect the city and delay necessary projects.

She went on to say,"...we need to move forward. This city has very pressing problems we need to turn to."

Stern objected to Hadley's assertions, saying, "Baseless litigation can happen in any situation. We don’t avoid taking any action in this city because there could be baseless litigation. I don’t see any difference. Somehow you feel like this acknowledgment is going to protect you."

In the end, it was Franklin's statement of "acknowledgment and condemnation" that was moved forward. "Of all of the versions proposed last night, mine was deemed by the city attorney to be the least risky with regards to liability," he said.

Council members motioned to add small revisions to Franklin's statement.

Napolitano asked to have a sentence removed which stated, "All owners were paid fair market value or higher for their properties as determined by the Los Angeles County Superior Court."

He also wanted to add the words "racially motivated" before "eminent domain" in the following sentence: "The City’s eminent domain action to dispossess Willa and Charles A. Bruce, Major

George and Mrs. Ethel Prioleau, Elizabeth Patterson, Mary R. Sanders, Milton and Anna
Johnson, and other White property owners of their property."

Councilmember Montgomery requested adding the words "empathy" or "empathize" to the heading, "acknowledging and condemning."

Franklin told Patch that the updated version is now before the city attorney for review and will be posted on the city's website as soon as it's approved.