A prime beachfront resort seized from its black owners nearly 100 years ago has been returned to their descendants by officials in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bruce\u2019s Beach was purchased in 1912 to create a beach resort for black people at a time of racial segregation in southern California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Located in the desirable city of Manhattan Beach, it was forcibly taken by the local council in 1924.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But on Tuesday, Los Angeles officials voted to return the land to the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Willa and Charles Bruce bought the two lots of land for $1,225 in 1912. The beach is now worth an estimated $20m (\u00a316.45m).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Willa told a reporter at the time: \u201cWherever we have tried to buy land for a beach resort, we have been refused, but I own this land and I am going to keep it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the next decade, Bruce\u2019s Beach became a \u201ccitadel for African Americans coming there for leisure from all over the rest of southern California,\u201d family spokesman Chief Duane \u201cYellow Feather\u201d Shepard told the BBC last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the local police department put up signs limiting parking to 10 minutes, and another local landowner put up no trespassing signs, forcing people to walk half a mile to reach the water, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When those measures failed to deter visitors, the local authorities seized the land under eminent domain laws \u2013 designed to let the government forcibly buy land needed for roads and other public buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officials claimed they planned to build a park. That did not happen until many decades later, and the area remained vacant in the interim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Tuesday, the motion to return the land acknowledged, \u201cit is well documented that this move was a racially motivated attempt to drive out the successful black business and its patrons\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The return is the result of a lengthy campaign and difficult process. The beach has for years featured a memorial plaque to Willa and Charles, and the state legislature had to pass a law to allow the return of the property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, the city will lease the land from the family for $413,000 a year \u2013 with a clause allowing the future purchase of the land for up to $20m plus costs, according to the lease agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a day we weren\u2019t sure would ever come,\u201d Anthony Bruce, a great-great grandson of Willa and Charles said \u2013 calling it \u201cbittersweet\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt destroyed them financially. It destroyed their chance at the American Dream. I wish they could see what has happened today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe hope this opens people\u2019s eyes to a part of American history that isn\u2019t talked about enough, and we think it\u2019s a step toward trying to right the wrongs of the past.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the impact of the seizure is arguably still felt today, Mr Shepard has previously said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were just ousted from that community\u2026 there\u2019s only 1% representation of African Americans in Manhattan beach at this time,\u201d he said \u2013 a figure backed by the city\u2019s census data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n