California may punt on paying reparations to the descendants of slaves

ONE CITY block in Manhattan Beach, a ritzy town just south of Los Angeles, is not like the others. On a hill above the shoreline, sitting snug between McMansions masquerading as beach houses, is a grassy area. A square monument, inscribed with “Bruce’s Beach Park”, invites visitors to read about the history of the place. In the early 1900s, this land belonged to Charles and Willa Bruce, an African-American couple who ran a beach resort for black Angelenos. Unhappy with their new neighbours, white residents of Manhattan Beach persuaded the city to seize the land. In 1924 Bruce’s Beach, as the resort was known, was condemned. Last year, nearly a century after their land was stolen, the city transferred the land to the Bruces’ great-grandsons, who then sold it back to LA County for nearly $20m.