August 29, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Santa Monica to Enter Mediation Over Ebony Beach Club Land Seizure

The decision follows a year-long investigation into White’s efforts to open the Ebony Beach Club—a nonprofit intended to provide a beachside gathering place for Black residents at a time when racial segregation limited their access to public spaces

The Santa Monica City Council voted Tuesday to pursue mediation with the family of late Black entrepreneur Silas White, whose plans to establish the Ebony Beach Club in the 1950s were derailed by a city-led eminent domain action the family claims was racially motivated.

City staff will initiate mediation with White’s descendants to explore options for reparations or restitution. The city has offered to pay up to $15,000 for the process, which will be facilitated by a mediator of the family’s choosing.

The decision follows a year-long investigation into White’s efforts to open the Ebony Beach Club—a nonprofit intended to provide a beachside gathering place for Black residents at a time when racial segregation limited their access to public spaces. In 1957, White entered into a lease-to-purchase agreement for a parcel of land at 1811 Ocean Avenue, where the Viceroy Hotel now stands. A year later, the city condemned the property as part of a civic development project, and the club was never built.

According to city records, the club had attracted more than 400 interested members and had made initial investments in improvements and marketing. However, a 1959 court ruling determined that White and his nonprofit held no legal claim to the land, which resulted in no compensation to the club or White.

White’s family first brought the claim to the city in March 2024, seeking either the return of the land or financial reparations. They cited parallels to the Bruce’s Beach case in Manhattan Beach, where land taken from a Black family nearly a century ago was returned following public outcry and legal review.

City officials say the case is emblematic of broader historic patterns of displacement and systemic inequities in Santa Monica’s redevelopment history. In 2021, the city issued a public apology for racially discriminatory land use practices, including the displacement of Black and Brown communities.

“This case is not just about a single parcel of land,” said city staff in a report to the council. “It reflects a larger pattern of harm that requires thoughtful consideration through a restorative justice lens.”

The decision to pursue mediation builds on the city’s broader reparative justice initiatives, including its newly formed Landback and Reparations Task Force, launched in April 2025. The task force is charged with investigating historical harms and proposing a formal reparations framework for Santa Monica.

While no final decision has been made on whether or how the city will offer restitution to the White family, city officials said the mediation is a necessary next step in acknowledging and addressing past injustices.

in Hard, News
<>Related Posts

Muscle Beach Championship Returns to Venice on Labor Day

August 29, 2025

August 29, 2025

The event will feature competitions across categories including bodybuilding, bikini, men’s physique, classic physique, angel bikini, and couples The iconic...

Film Review: Relay

August 28, 2025

August 28, 2025

FILM REVIEWRELAYRated R112 MinutesReleased August 22nd This movie plays like a chess game, mentally and physically – on foot and...

Santa Monica’s E-Bike Voucher Program Marks One-Year Milestone

August 28, 2025

August 28, 2025

A city blog post highlighted personal impacts, with one family avoiding a second car purchase for a commute to Burbank,...

Westside Classics Car Show Set to Roll into Venice Beach

August 28, 2025

August 28, 2025

The show will feature a curated lineup of vintage sedans, low-slung cruisers, and unique custom builds The Westside Classics Car...

Westside Chefs Shine at the Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival in September

August 28, 2025

August 28, 2025

South Bay’s Culinary Festival Returns With Two Nights of Food, Wine, and Music Santa Monica, Westchester, Los Angeles, and West...

(Video) Public Transit Returns to Pacific Palisades

August 27, 2025

August 27, 2025

The Return is Part of a Broader Summer Overhaul, Aiming to Boost Connectivity Across the Westside Public Transit Returns to...

Raising Cane’s Plans New Location on 3rd Street Promenade

August 27, 2025

August 27, 2025

The move marks the chain’s latest expansion in California Louisiana-based fast-food chain Raising Cane’s confirmed to the Santa Monica Mirror...

(Video) Come Tour The Willows Community School!

August 27, 2025

August 27, 2025

Sign up for a tour at The Willows and come see what makes our school such a vibrant, inspiring place...

Search Underway for Missing 14-Year-Old in Santa Monica Mountains

August 27, 2025

August 27, 2025

The sheriff’s department considers Wind a habitual runaway and is urging the public to contact Detective Aquino The Los Angeles...

Army Corps Nears Completion of Palisades Wildfire Cleanup

August 26, 2025

August 26, 2025

Debris removal began in late January with the Environmental Protection Agency handling hazardous materials, followed by Army Corps-led crews tackling...

Opinion: Jim Harris Wants to Change the Way You Think About Santa Monica Pier

August 26, 2025

August 26, 2025

For 36 years, I have spent almost every day walking these cool old deck boards on the Santa Monica Pier....

Santa Monica Police Department Announces Overnight DUI Checkpoint This Week

August 26, 2025

August 26, 2025

Checkpoint Will Run From 6:00 p.m. To 2:00 a.m. at an Undisclosed Location The Santa Monica Police Department will operate...

Rally Against SB 79 Draws Crowds in Palisades

August 26, 2025

August 26, 2025

The bill, which advanced through Senate and Assembly committees, faces review by the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week, with a...

Abbot Kinney Festival Canceled for Second Straight Year

August 26, 2025

August 26, 2025

Organizers expressed hope that the additional time will allow them to restructure and deliver a more vibrant event in 2026...