LA County to pay $20M for Black family’s seized land

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California beachfront property that was taken from a Black couple through eminent domain a century ago and returned to their heirs last year will be sold back to Los Angeles County for nearly $20 million. The decision to sell what was once known as Bruce’s Beach was announced Tuesday by local and state officials who led governmental efforts to undo the long-ago injustice. The land in the city of Manhattan Beach was purchased in 1912 by Willa and Charles Bruce, who built a resort for African Americans. The Bruces suffered racist harassment, and in the 1920s the city took the property through eminent domain. The land was returned to the couple’s heirs last year.