‘Sundown towns’ and Southland

Re “A deep tide of goodwill at Bruce’s Beach,” April 1

The ousting of African Americans from Manhattan Beach in the 1920s stemmed from an aspect of American racism that created “sundown towns.” Many suburban and small towns outside of the South prohibited blacks from living in or even frequenting their communities. This was accomplished one way or the other (usually the other). Signs were often posted at the city limits warning blacks not to let the sun go down while they were in town. Jews, Asians and Mexicans were also targeted by “sundown towns.” It is no accident that many of our suburban and finer communities are nearly all white; they were often planned that way.

In the 1950s, as our family moved from Santa Monica to Westchester and then Manhattan Beach, the tapestry of the communities seemed to get whiter. Living in Manhattan Beach in the late 1950s, I don’t recall seeing any blacks, aside from the domestics we employed. The Manhattan Beach City Council is to be commended for effecting the name change to Bruce’s Beach. I hope that by remembering this past, we won’t be condemned to reliving it.

JOSEPH GIUS

Los Angeles