The Los Angeles City Council has taken a significant step forward in addressing historical marginalization by initiating a plan to identify and transfer land to marginalized groups within the city. Former Councilman Mike Bonin introduced this motion in November 2022, which received unanimous support from the council members. In the next 60 days, various departments will compile a thorough inventory of “underutilized, surplus, and/or remnant lands” across the city, as well as public lands held by county, regional, state, and federal agencies.
The city’s chief legislative analyst, in collaboration with the Civil and Human Rights and Equity Department and other relevant departments, will also provide recommendations within 60 days on how to utilize the identified land. Some of the proposed uses include community land trusts, urban agriculture, and other initiatives that prioritize principles such as self-determination, community building, and healing.
Councilwoman Nithya Raman, in partnership with Council President Pro Tem Marqueece Harris-Dawson, worked with Bonin’s office to bring forth this motion. Raman acknowledges the crucial role that land plays in reversing long-standing issues of displacement and segregation, and recognizes the similar efforts underway across the West Coast.
Bonin’s motion points out that Los Angeles is currently experiencing a powerful and catalytic moment that exposes its racial divide. It also alludes to the protests that erupted after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, which sparked debates on policing and racial injustice. This motion arrives at a time when the council has faced criticism following the emergence of a racist audio tape featuring former Council President Nury Martinez in October 2022.
The motion emphasizes the need for intentional steps to acknowledge past land theft and exclusion and develop mechanisms that enable the return of land to Indigenous, Black, and Brown communities for their use, benefit, and sovereignty. The resulting reports will provide essential data to facilitate the equitable distribution of public land and resources for community use.
Raman expresses excitement about the land inventory, not only for this initiative but also for other projects across the entire council. Optimizing the use of the city’s land, owned by both proprietary departments and partners, can be a part of a broader effort to uplift the people and maximize the potential of this valuable resource.
In 2022, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the transfer of Bruce’s Beach back to the Bruce family, who owned and operated this prime beachfront resort for over a century during a time of racial segregation in California. The board also agreed to pay a yearly lease for the land’s use. In 1924, the Manhattan Beach Board of Trustees forcibly acquired Bruce’s Beach under eminent domain, allegedly to build a park. However, historians believe that this action was racially motivated, aiming to drive out Black businesses and their patrons.
Another noteworthy example is Oakland, which became the first city in California to utilize city-owned property as reparations for land stolen from Native American territories. In November 2022, the city announced plans to return five acres of Joaquin Miller Park to permanent indigenous control and stewardship through a cultural conservation easement. The Sogorea Te’ Land Trust will have substantial authority over the land’s usage for cultural, environmental, and educational purposes in perpetuity.
Eureka also returned Tuluwat Island, the site of a tragic massacre by settlers in 1860 that devastated the tribal community, to the Wiyot Tribe. These instances highlight the growing trend of cities giving back land to historically marginalized groups.
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