In 1912, a Black couple bought California beachfront land and built a resort; the city seized it and...

Charles and Willa Bruce on their wedding day (Left) and Margie Johnson and John Pettigrew in Manhattan Beach in 1927 (Right) A prime piece of Southern California oceanfront property taken from a Black couple through eminent domain a century ago was formally returned to their descendants and then sold back to Los Angeles County for nearly $20 million (£16.6 million). The deal ended a historic legal fight over Bruce’s Beach, a Manhattan Beach resort founded in 1912 by Willa and Charles Bruce. The resort became a popular destination for African American beachgoers during racial segregation. It was later targeted by white neighbours, harassed by the Ku Klux Klan, and eventually taken by local officials in 1924. According to official records from the Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative and reporting by the Associated Press, the property was formally returned to great-grandsons Marcus and Derrick Bruce. The family then used a contractual option to sell the two plots back to the county for $19,975,000.Century-long land trajectory1912: Willa and Charles Bruce buy the land for $1,2251924: Manhattan Beach takes the land through em...