Bruce's Beach
Metadata
- Bruce's Beach
- July 22, 2022
- Language English
- Transcript/Script English Bruce’s Beach TV HEADLINE: California Beach Property Returned to African American Family a Century Later TEASER: Century-old injustice reversed as African American family is returned a valuable deed for California beach property PUBLISHED AT: 7/22/2022 BYLINE: Mike O’Sullivan CONTRIBUTOR: Genia Dulot DATELINE: Los Angeles VIDEOGRAPHER: Genia Dulot, Roy Kim, Mike O’Sullivan PRODUCER: SCRIPT EDITORS: MAS, Holly Franko VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, AFP, AP PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO __ TRT: VID APPROVED BY: TYPE: TVPKG: EDITOR NOTES: )) ((INTRODUCTION)) [[An African American family has been returned the deed for a seaside property taken from their family by local officials nearly a century ago. Mike O'Sullivan reports from Los Angeles on what may be the first case of its kind in the United States.]] ((SHOW REUTERS CLIP OF JULY 20TH CEREMONY)) ((NARRATOR)) Correcting an injustice from the 1920s. ((SHOW VOA SHOT OF BRUCE’S BEACH MONUMENT WITH PHOTO OF CHARLES AND WILLA BRUCE)) The Bruce family has gotten back the oceanfront property seized from Charles and Willa Bruce a century ago. ((NATS — SHOW KIDS RUNNING INTO SURF)) It was taken by the mostly white city of Manhattan Beach for use as a public park ((SHOW ABC NEWSONE CLIP OF HISTORIC PHOTOS)) through a legal process called eminent domain, in which private property can be taken for public use with payment at fair market value. The Bruces received $14,500 for land they said was worth more at the time and is worth millions of dollars today. This was one of many cases of communities using the law to steal property, says a descendant of the family, who says others with similar stories are mobilizing. ((FOR RADIO: Anthony Bruce is one of the heirs who was part of the settlement.)) ((Anthony Bruce, Property Heir)) “They understand that it does take a lot of grit, a lot of hard work. You’ve got to have boots on the ground, and you’ve got to be protesting.” ((SHOW REUTERS CLIP OF POSTER SHOWING SERIES OF LAND TRANSFERS) Protests, and help from Los Angeles County, which acquired the property in 1995, made the difference in this case, ((SHOW VOA SHOTS OF BEACH, VOA SHOT OF BLACK SPECTATORS HOLDING PHONES, VOA SHOT OF LAWYER EXAMINING HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS)) and help from a lawyer who overcame a legal challenge from a private citizen after the county agreed to return the land. ((FOR RADIO: Attorney George Fatheree.)) ((George Fatheree, Attorney for Bruce Family)) “First, I thought, this is spectacular, that’s great. And then I thought, holy smokes, there are going to be a lot of people that don’t want to see this property returned.” ((SHOW VOA SHOTS OF COMMUNITY, BLACK FAMILY, HISTORICAL PHOTO)) ((NARRATOR)) Some worried about legal liability for Manhattan Beach. The unsuccessful lawsuit claimed the expropriation had been perfectly legal. ((SHOW ANOTHER VOA SHOT OF LAWYER EXAMINING HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS)) The judge disagreed after the attorney showed historical evidence that Charles and Willa Bruce had been targeted by hostile white officials. ((SHOW VOA SHOT OF STATE SENATOR SIGNING DOCUMENTS IN OFFICE)) ((NARRATOR)) A California state senator authored a bill to help the Bruce heirs regain the land. He says legal ploys were often used against black families, even when racial discrimination was illegal. ((FOR RADIO: California State Senator Steven Bradford.)) ((Steven Bradford, California State Senator)) “Blacks were still denied through restrictive covenants (racial or religious restrictions in contracts) and all other legal means prevent African Americans from having property in this country.” ((SHOW REUTERS CLIP OF BRUCE FAMILY AT CEREMONY)) ((NARRATOR) Many other families are seeking redress, says the community activist who brought this case to light. ((FOR RADIO: Kavon Ward, founder of the organization Where Is My Land.) ((Kavon Ward, Founder of Where Is My Land)) “Return stolen land. I have close to 400 cases and I’m sure that’s not all of them.” (SHOW REUTERS CLIP OF BRUCE FAMILY AND OTHERS AT CEREMONY)) ((NARRATOR)) The family’s lawyer says property theft has affected multiple generations. ((FOR RADIO: Attorney George Fatheree)) ((George Fatheree, Attorney for Bruce Family)) “The ability to build wealth through the acquisition of real property and transfer that wealth to your kids and your grandkids and great-grandkids. That’s how wealth is created and maintained in this country.” ((SHOW VOA SHOTS OF LIFEGUARD FACILITY, BEACH, MONUMENT)) ((NARRATOR)) Los Angeles County has a lifeguard facility on the beachfront property. The county will lease the land from the Bruces for the next two years, with the option of buying it for up to $20 million dollars after that. Those involved call the settlement historic. Mike O’Sullivan, VOA News, Los Angeles.
- Transcript/Script Bruce’s Beach TV HEADLINE: California Beach Property Returned to African American Family a Century Later TEASER: Century-old injustice reversed as African American family is returned a valuable deed for California beach property PUBLISHED AT: 7/22/2022 BYLINE: Mike O’Sullivan CONTRIBUTOR: Genia Dulot DATELINE: Los Angeles VIDEOGRAPHER: Genia Dulot, Roy Kim, Mike O’Sullivan PRODUCER: SCRIPT EDITORS: MAS, Holly Franko VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, AFP, AP PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO __ TRT: VID APPROVED BY: TYPE: TVPKG: EDITOR NOTES: )) ((INTRODUCTION)) [[An African American family has been returned the deed for a seaside property taken from their family by local officials nearly a century ago. Mike O'Sullivan reports from Los Angeles on what may be the first case of its kind in the United States.]] ((SHOW REUTERS CLIP OF JULY 20TH CEREMONY)) ((NARRATOR)) Correcting an injustice from the 1920s. ((SHOW VOA SHOT OF BRUCE’S BEACH MONUMENT WITH PHOTO OF CHARLES AND WILLA BRUCE)) The Bruce family has gotten back the oceanfront property seized from Charles and Willa Bruce a century ago. ((NATS — SHOW KIDS RUNNING INTO SURF)) It was taken by the mostly white city of Manhattan Beach for use as a public park ((SHOW ABC NEWSONE CLIP OF HISTORIC PHOTOS)) through a legal process called eminent domain, in which private property can be taken for public use with payment at fair market value. The Bruces received $14,500 for land they said was worth more at the time and is worth millions of dollars today. This was one of many cases of communities using the law to steal property, says a descendant of the family, who says others with similar stories are mobilizing. ((FOR RADIO: Anthony Bruce is one of the heirs who was part of the settlement.)) ((Anthony Bruce, Property Heir)) “They understand that it does take a lot of grit, a lot of hard work. You’ve got to have boots on the ground, and you’ve got to be protesting.” ((SHOW REUTERS CLIP OF POSTER SHOWING SERIES OF LAND TRANSFERS) Protests, and help from Los Angeles County, which acquired the property in 1995, made the difference in this case, ((SHOW VOA SHOTS OF BEACH, VOA SHOT OF BLACK SPECTATORS HOLDING PHONES, VOA SHOT OF LAWYER EXAMINING HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS)) and help from a lawyer who overcame a legal challenge from a private citizen after the county agreed to return the land. ((FOR RADIO: Attorney George Fatheree.)) ((George Fatheree, Attorney for Bruce Family)) “First, I thought, this is spectacular, that’s great. And then I thought, holy smokes, there are going to be a lot of people that don’t want to see this property returned.” ((SHOW VOA SHOTS OF COMMUNITY, BLACK FAMILY, HISTORICAL PHOTO)) ((NARRATOR)) Some worried about legal liability for Manhattan Beach. The unsuccessful lawsuit claimed the expropriation had been perfectly legal. ((SHOW ANOTHER VOA SHOT OF LAWYER EXAMINING HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS)) The judge disagreed after the attorney showed historical evidence that Charles and Willa Bruce had been targeted by hostile white officials. ((SHOW VOA SHOT OF STATE SENATOR SIGNING DOCUMENTS IN OFFICE)) ((NARRATOR)) A California state senator authored a bill to help the Bruce heirs regain the land. He says legal ploys were often used against black families, even when racial discrimination was illegal. ((FOR RADIO: California State Senator Steven Bradford.)) ((Steven Bradford, California State Senator)) “Blacks were still denied through restrictive covenants (racial or religious restrictions in contracts) and all other legal means prevent African Americans from having property in this country.” ((SHOW REUTERS CLIP OF BRUCE FAMILY AT CEREMONY)) ((NARRATOR) Many other families are seeking redress, says the community activist who brought this case to light. ((FOR RADIO: Kavon Ward, founder of the organization Where Is My Land.) ((Kavon Ward, Founder of Where Is My Land)) “Return stolen land. I have close to 400 cases and I’m sure that’s not all of them.” (SHOW REUTERS CLIP OF BRUCE FAMILY AND OTHERS AT CEREMONY)) ((NARRATOR)) The family’s lawyer says property theft has affected multiple generations. ((FOR RADIO: Attorney George Fatheree)) ((George Fatheree, Attorney for Bruce Family)) “The ability to build wealth through the acquisition of real property and transfer that wealth to your kids and your grandkids and great-grandkids. That’s how wealth is created and maintained in this country.” ((SHOW VOA SHOTS OF LIFEGUARD FACILITY, BEACH, MONUMENT)) ((NARRATOR)) Los Angeles County has a lifeguard facility on the beachfront property. The county will lease the land from the Bruces for the next two years, with the option of buying it for up to $20 million dollars after that. Those involved call the settlement historic. Mike O’Sullivan, VOA News, Los Angeles.
- NewsML Media Topics Lifestyle and Leisure, Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
- Topic Tags Bruce Beach
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date July 22, 2022 19:12 EDT
- Description English [An African American family has been returned the deed for a seaside property taken from their family by local officials nearly a century ago. Mike O'Sullivan reports from Los Angeles on what may be the first case of its kind in the United States.
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English