The heirs of Bruce’s Beach sells the beachfront property back to Los Angeles County for $20 million

Manhattan Beach, California – Willa and Charles Bruce were a happy couple and entrepreneurs looking to provide a notable lifestyle and means of entertainment for Blacks in the Southern California area. In 1912, the Bruce’s purchased a small, but attractive beachfront property to make into a vacation spot for Blacks.

But due to racism and jealousy, the Bruces were ran off the property by local Whites who didn’t want to see their vision come to fruition. The property was later acquired through eminent domain in 1920 and sat unused until it was transferred to the state of California and then later to Los Angeles County.

In 2021 after local and state representatives learned of the history of Bruce’s Beach. They began working together to have the state of California return the land back to the heirs of the Bruce family.

After the heirs received the deed of the land, Los Angeles County began renting the land from the Bruce heirs for $413,000 a year for a two-year period. It was announced Tuesday that the Bruce heirs and Los Angeles County have agreed to move forward on a sale of Bruce’s Beach for nearly $20 million.