Q&A With Former Manhattan Beach Mayor Mitch Ward On Bruce's Beach

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn has made the following statement concerning what the County may do with the land it owns that was owned by Willa and Charles Bruce in the early 1900s until the City of Manhattan Beach used the ruse of eminent domain to snag it from them and force them out, along with other property owners. The real reason for the city's eminent domain has come to light in recent times. That reason was because the Bruces were Black.

Mitch Ward, a Manhattan Beach resident who served on MB City Council and was mayor, steered the land's renaming to Bruce's Beach, at least for the portion of land the city had turned into a park, in 2006 while serving on city council.

Here is Supervisor Hahn's statement:

“The property that was once the Bruce’s is now owned by the County and I want LA County to

be part of righting this wrong. I am looking at everything from repurposing the property in a way
that tells the history of Bruce’s Beach to actually giving the property back to the descendants of
Charles and Willa Bruce.”

Question: What is your response to her statement?
Answer: Supervisor Hahn has stepped up and is doing the right thing for Black Americans (and
consequently, ALL Americans). She is respectful of our history and is willing to right a wrong
that occurred here in Manhattan Beach in the 1920s. The City of Manhattan Beach's orchestrated
efforts to rid the city of Black Americans for 100 years are one of the most tragic legacies
of our beautiful town. I am glad we have a regional leader that has the ability to come in and do
what’s best for the Willa and Charles Bruce family as well as for the County of Los Angeles and
the City of Manhattan Beach. Supervisor Hahn has my utmost respect for her leadership and
innovative approach to righting this wrong.

Q: I know in your letter you said you've been working with Hahn's office since 2020. When did you
contact her office and why?
Mitch Ward: Supervisor Hahn called me directly in mid-2020 and we discussed the events of Bruce's Beach. The supervisor was shocked, as many are, to learn about the history of the Willa and Charles Bruce family. She was equally surprised to learn that the County of Los Angeles had
acquired the property in 1995. The supervisor directed her chief of staff and other staff members
to reach out to me for recommendations. I was happy to share the historical information I
collected over the years with the supervisor's office. Supervisor Hahn wanted to forcefully act
upon the information that I presented to her for consideration, especially after the Black Lives
Matter awakening movement of 2020.

Some of my suggestions for Supervisor Hahn’s consideration were lower level but significant.
For example, I believe the County of Los Angeles should apply for and the State of California
should designate the Bruce's Beach site a state historic landmark. I shared a broad range of my
thoughts with the supervisor and her staff. Naturally, I offered my opinion that the property
should be given back to the Bruce family's immediate descendant. However, it was ultimately
Janice Hahn who has proposed the broad options that she is considering. Supervisor Hahn has
chosen not to exclude a wide range of options available to her and I am pleased.

Q: Why didn't you want to be a part of the MB Bruce's Beach Task Force?
Ward: I am a former Mayor and Council member and former commissioner of Manhattan Beach. I have given nearly 17 years of service to our city. I like the fact that younger people and others with
more fresh ideas have stepped up to become engaged in local matters. There was a high interest
in the Bruce's Beach Task Force, especially from strong Black women. Their voices are lacking
in Manhattan Beach and I wanted to hear from them. Unfortunately, it appears that the city
chose not to include a number of them in the final composition of the task force. Still, I believe
the Bruce's Beach Task Force has done a fantastic job given the narrow scope and the confines
which they were placed in.

Q: Do you think the better solutions are with the County? Why or why not?
Ward: As current owner of the two parcels originally owned by Willa and Charles Bruce, the County of Los Angeles is in the best position to make amends to the Bruce Family. However, Manhattan Beach still needs to reckon with its full involvement in this tragic process of taking property by using racist pretense. To fully understand our involvement, we need to paint the full picture all the way up to 2021. We know the origins of the tragedy of the 1920s, but we need to fully
document when and why we transferred this property to the State of California and then to the
County of Los Angeles in 1995. This historical timeline will give the public and residents of
Manhattan Beach essential information pertaining to the passing down of this property acquired
through tragic events. Only then can the City of Manhattan Beach arrive to a point where it can
ask for forgiveness and reconciliation.

Comment: Please add anything else you'd like to.
Ward: The City of Manhattan Beach’s improper use of eminent domain to acquire the Bruce’s Beach property may have occurred over 100 years ago, but the dark cloud of this racist action remains to this day. I am very grateful for the leadership and forward thinking and insight of Supervisor Janice Hahn. The Hahn family here in Los Angeles County has traditionally been on the
forefront when it comes to standing up for African American Angelinos and for their human
rights and dignity. I am happy that this tradition has been inherited by Janice Hahn. Supervisor
Hahn will be forever remembered for her bold proposed actions regarding Bruce's Beach
Manhattan Beach. Janice Hahn will not be able to fully right the wrong, but her proposed
actions are a strong example that will be shown to our nation, demonstrating what it means to
fight back against racism.