Manhattan Beach Adopts Bruce’s Beach History Report

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA —The Manhattan Beach City Council approved the adoption of the history report of the Bruce's Beach Task Force at Tuesday night's meeting.

The vote was 4-1 in favor of adopting the report. Councilmember Joe Franklin was the only dissenting vote because he wanted the city to get its own historians to review the report.

The Bruce’s Beach History Advisory Board and its predecessor, the now-disbanded Bruce’s Beach Task Force, spent months compiling information about the former Black-owned seaside resort for African Americans.

Upon completion of the 75-page report, the panel had it reviewed by several local historians, who praised the finished product.

Mayor Pro Tem Hildy Stern commended the effort, saying, “This report is the most factual work on Bruce Beach available today.”

Mayor Suzanne Hadley noted that history can be subjective, that there will "never be an agreement on the definitive history of what happened last week ... let alone what happened 100 years ago;" however, she approves of the report as it stands.

"I dispute that more time, more money, more experts, and kicking the can down the road will result in a better report," she said. "It is not perfect … however, it is factual, it is documented, and it is substantiated. Everything in this document, like good science, can be verified and checked up on by you."

In 1912, a young black couple named Willa and Charles Bruce purchased beachfront property in Manhattan Beach and built a resort that served Black residents. It was one of the few beaches where black residents could go because so many other local beaches did not permit black beachgoers. The Bruces and their customers were harassed and threatened by white neighbors including the KKK. Eventually, the Manhattan Beach City Council moved to seize the property using eminent domain in 1924, purportedly to create a park. The city took the property in 1929 and it remained vacant for decades.

The property the Bruce family once owned was years later transferred to the State and in 1995 transferred to Los Angeles County. It is now the site of the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Training Headquarters.

In March, the city council approved several recommendations from the Bruces' Beach Task Force, including the creation of two plaques and an interactive art piece.

The History Advisory Board will next present its proposed language for the new plaques on July 20.