Newsom signs legislation to return seized California property to Black couple's descendants
CBSN
Almost 100 years ago, a California beachfront property was seized from a Black couple. On Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation authorizing the county to begin transferring the property to Willa and Charles Bruces' descendants, the governor's office announced.
"As we move to remedy this nearly century-old injustice, California takes another step furthering our commitment to making the California Dream a reality for communities that were shamefully shut out by a history of racist exclusion," Newsom said. "We know our work is just beginning to make amends for our past, and California will not shy from confronting the structural racism and bias that people of color face to this day."
The Bruces bought the Manhattan Beach property, now known as Bruce's Beach, in 1912, and turned it into a popular resort for Black residents. They were among the city's first Black landowners.