INSIDE
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December 29, 2023 - January 4, 2024 Volume CXXIII Issue 214
2023 Year in Review
January 2023
Bruce Family To Sell Bruce’s Beach Back To Los Angeles County For $20 Million The heirs of Willa and Charles Bruce, Black landowners in Manhattan Beach, are selling their property back to Los Angeles County for $20 million. The land was seized through eminent domain in 1924, driven by racially motivated actions to dismantle the successful Black-owned resort called Bruce’s Beach and prevent further African American settlement or business development in Manhattan Beach. The Bruce family had purchased the land in 1912 and turned it into a popular seaside resort that welcomed Black beachgoers facing hostility and racism from the predominantly white community. The grassroots campaign, “Where Is My Land,” and another group, “Justice For Bruce’s Beach,” advocated for the return of the property to the Bruce family heirs. Legislation, including SB 796, facilitated the transfer of the land back to the family. The campaign aimed to rectify historical injustices and provide reparations for families who lost their wealth and property due to racist practices. The Bruce’s Beach webpage on the
Los Angeles County website narrates the family’s history, highlighting the discriminatory laws and actions that led to the confiscation of their land. The story echoes similar cases of dispossession, such as that of Arcadia Bandini de Stearns Baker’s land in Santa Monica, where the city repurposed it as a public parking lot and playground, disregarding her intention for it to be a resort for American veterans to heal. In April 2021, Los Angeles County Supervisors announced their intention to return the Bruce’s Beach property to the family, and the legislative efforts culminated in the signing of SB 796 into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2021. The move was framed as a step toward addressing historical injustices and confronting structural racism, with an apology extended to the Bruce family. The story of Bruce’s Beach highlights ongoing efforts to address past wrongs and reevaluate land use in cases where original intentions have been disregarded.
February 2023
Four-Year-Old Mountain Lion P-81 Found Dead on PCH The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) confirmed the death of P-81, a four-year-old mountain lion, on January 22. The animal’s body was found on Pacific Coast Highway near Las Posas Road in the western Santa Monica Mountains, and a necropsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death. P-81 was notable for its physical abnormalities, including a kinked tail forming an “L” shape and only one descended testicle, which raised concerns about potential inbreeding depression due to a lack of genetic diversity. This marked the first evidence of such issues since 2002, when biologists began studying mountain lions in the park. The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, currently under construction in Agoura
Hills, is a crucial project for connecting wildlife populations within the Santa Monica Mountains, including mountain lions like P-81, with other populations to the north. The goal is to enhance genetic diversity and mitigate the risks associated with inbreeding depression. One significant threat to mountain lions in the region is vehicle strikes, and P-81’s death is part of a concerning trend. Between March 2022 and January 22, nine mountain lions, including six radio-collared animals like P-81, have been reported dead due to road mortality. This brings the total number of mountain lion deaths from vehicle strikes since 2002 to 34, emphasizing the urgent need for solutions to address the impact of roads on wildlife in the area.
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