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The Times podcast: How a Black family regains a beach the government took away

In a crowd of people, a man holds up a paper and two other men shake hands
Anthony Bruce, great-great grandson of beach owners Charles and Willa Bruce, shakes hands with Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 30 in Manhattan Beach. State Sen. Steven Bradford, left, holds a newly signed law that authorizes the return of the land to the Bruce family.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Nearly a century ago, government officials pushed a Black family from their beachfront property in the Southern California city of Manhattan Beach. Now, in what could be a landmark in this nation’s efforts to correct past injustices to African Americans, the land is being returned to the family’s descendants.

Today, we have an update to our June episode about the fight over Bruce’s Beach. And we hear from the historians, family members and grass-roots organizers who championed this cause for years until it could not be ignored. We also speak with L.A. Times environmental reporter Rosanna Xia about her work, which amplified the story of Bruce’s Beach to the world.

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Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guest: L.A. Times environmental reporter Rosanna Xia

More reading:

Newsom signs bill to return Bruce’s Beach to Black family

Op-Ed: Bruce’s Beach will be returned to my family. I hope our fight will help others

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Editorial: Beyond Bruce’s Beach is the tarnished American dream for Black Americans

Manhattan Beach was once home to Black beachgoers, but the city ran them out. Now it faces a reckoning

About The Times

“The Times” is made by columnist Gustavo Arellano, senior producer Denise Guerra and producers Shannon Lin, Melissa Kaplan and Ashlea Brown. Our engineer is Mario Diaz. Our editors are Lauren Raab and Shani O. Hilton. Our theme song was composed by Andrew Eapen.
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