A Bob Marley medley performance, a drum circle led by percussionist Curtis Byrd, a speech by Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn and three food trucks were among the highlights of the Juneteenth celebration at Bruce’s Beach Park on Saturday.
Though Juneteenth celebrates the freeing of slaves in Texas in 1865, President Joe Biden declared the day a national holiday just last week. Kavon Ward, founder of Justice for Bruce’s Beach, organized Saturday’s celebration.
“We’re here to show in a peaceful way that not only are we ready to celebrate Juneteenth, we’re here to give this property back,” said State Senator Steven Bradford, who authored the bill that would give L.A. County the authority to return Bruce’s Beach to the Bruce family. “Bruce’s Beach will be an example of what reparations could look like here in the state of California.”
100 years ago, Manhattan Beach took the property, a beach resort and safe haven for Black residents, from Willa and Charles Bruce. The city operated under the guise of eminent domain.
“We’ll never make up for 100 years of injustices that the Bruce family has gone through. But this is a start,” Hahn said. “Let’s spend the next 100 years righting some wrongs.” ER
