A00126 - Bruce's Beach Revisited

 


Over the weekend, the New York Times published a detailed article with great photos on Bruce's Beach.  

Bruce’s Beach Was Hailed as a Reparations Model. Then the Family Sold It. https://nyti.ms/3IjT38m

There was not much added to what has been previously discussed except for a few bits of information that I found of interest.  First, it was interesting to read the comments of Amherst's own MacArthur Fellow, Thomas Mitchell, chiming in on the issue of Bruce's Beach as a case study of reparations. I suggest that everyone read the article for the significance of those comments. 


The second bit of information is the number of heirs who will be sharing in the proceeds from the restoration of Bruce's Beach to the family.  According to the article, there are only four heirs and one of the heirs is 65 years old. The negotiated rent for the Bruce Beach parcels is a little over $400,000 per year meaning that, if split four ways, each of the heirs would receive a little over $100,000 per year for renting the parcels for the next two years.  After two years, there was no guarantee that the rental income would continue and the prospects of developing the parcels appeared to be slim.  Accordingly, the sale of the parcels for $20 million now may have been the wisest move, especially for one of the heirs who is 65 years old and may not be in the best of health.

Finally, the article notes that while the City has authorized some improvements to the park and the installation of more accurate informative murals explaining the history of the park, the City of Manhattan Beach has still not officially apologized for the actions taken 100 years ago.  My Manhattan Beach classmate correctly pointed out to me last month that my optimistic post about Reparations, Repentance, and Reconciliation was not accurate.  There may be remorse but there has been no repentance and the reaction of the Bruce Family members to the lack of an official apology best indicates the stage of reconciliation that actually exists ... and probably always will be.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
February 21, 2023

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