Written Comments — Santa Monica City Council, March 19, 2024

1 David Yakobson
From: gabrielle love <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 2:10 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Ebony Beach Club- Item 16TH AGENDA ON 3.19.2024 Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I write to you as a concerned member of the community and california resident I’m urging you to vote YES on the Ebony Beach Club and Silas White resolution (item 16L) on March 19th, 2024. The injustice Silas White endured over 60 years ago must be repaired sooner rather than later.

It is crucial that the City Council not only bear witness to the White family cause but take action to repair the harm. Particularly in an election year, it is interesting to see how elected officials engage with the issues their constituents truly care about. Does your Black constituency matter? In the past few years, Santa Monica has attempted to rectify the devastating harm it wrought on its Black community. However, its no secret that its attempts to repair are incongruous with the magnitude of devastation it intentionally inflicted.

In 2022, you apologized for ‘targeting communities of color for condemnation’ and vowed to ‘rectify the lingering consequences of discriminatory city policies’. What specific, measurable, and relevant actions will you take to support these words? The lingering consequences are material, so plaques and art exhibits will not suffice.

I implore you to vote YES on the issue of ‘Ebony Beach Club Restitution’ to your upcoming meeting agenda, particularly Mayor Pro Tem Lana Negrete who gave a verbal agreement to back the restitution claim. Silas White’s daughter, Connie, deserves to see repair in her lifetime.

2. Silas White was a successful entrepreneur and businessman. The Ebony Beach Club would have undoubtedly become a beacon of culture and Black freedom.

1. Silas White’s land sat empty for 13 years before he bought it. Conveniently, two months ahead of opening, Santa Monica razed it under the guise of eminent domain.

2. The Ebony Beach Club was meant to reaffirm the Black community’s humanity in the face of the humiliating circumstances of segregation Thank you,
Gabrielle Love
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
2 David Yakobson
From: Cynthia Rose <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 2:05 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; David White Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support Item 16-L Silas White Family Reparations Attachments: 2024-03 CC Support item 16-L Silas White Family Reparations.pdf Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council Members,
Please find attached our letter of support for item 16-L on tonights council agenda and making a sincere commitment to heal what we can of past injuries caused.
--
Cynthia Rose and Cris Gutierrez
Co-Chairs
Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance
SaMoSafeStreets.org
I acknowledge with respect and gratitude the Tongva, Kizh, and Chumash Peoples on whose traditional territory I live and work.

Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024

March 19, 2024
RE: Support Item 16-L Silas White Family Reparations
Dear Mayor and City Council Members:

It is significant for the City of Santa Monica to honor its progressive values and seek to rectify the taking by eminent domain of the property at 1811 Ocean Ave., at the time owned by Mr. Silas White and then meant to be the "Ebony Beach Club." The SaMo Safe Streets Alliance strongly supports agenda item 16 L, which lays out the dimensions of a thorough inquiry and offers various, albeit not exhaustive, options for dealing with a just return and remuneration of the property's value to the White family.

It may not be needed to approve Item 16M as well, because it is subsumed by 16L. If both agenda items together help strengthen the City's determination in addressing wisely the past use of eminent domain in this matter, we appreciate both items being approved.

The point is our making a sincere commitment to heal what we can of past injuries caused --whatever the earlier rationale may have been -- to our neighbors and communities of color. Our relationships with each other ground our communal resilience and wellbeing.

This year marks our Santa Monica 30th anniversary of leading on sustainability, which has embraced human dignity and civic engagement from the beginning. What a keystone for our equity plan unfolding. In that recognition and to nourish our humane consciousness and relationships, our City's integrity calls us to partner with the Silas White family with justice and respect.

Sincerely,
Cynthia Rose Cris Gutierrez
Co-Chair, Santa Monica Safe Street Alliance Co-Chair, Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance SaMoSafeStreets.org
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
3 David Yakobson
From: Blaine Pope <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 1:40 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Caroline Torosis
Subject: Agenda Item 16-L (by Blaine D. Pope, Ph.D.)
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged

EXTERNAL
My name is Blaine Pope. I am a professor of international business management at California State University Northridge (CSUN). I am a third generation Californian with deep personal and indirect historical ties to the City of Santa Monica (my own maternal grandparents—who lived in Bakersfield, CA—were occasional tourists at Santa Monica’s beautiful, early twentieth century, segregated beaches).

I am also the outgoing Chairperson of the Black/African-American Parent Advisory Committee, here in Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. However, today I represent myself as a private citizen and Santa Monica resident concerned with the topic at hand: the return of the expropriated Santa Monica-based Ebony Beach Club property to its rightful African-American owners or their descendants.

Let me set some brief context for this proposed action. In 2017, U.C. Berkeley historian Richard Rothstein wrote the following for an Op-Ed piece in the Los Angeles Times:

Every metropolitan area in the nation is racially segregated, and Los Angeles is no exception. We tolerate residential segregation because we’re convinced that it happened informally — because of personal choices and private discrimination. But what cemented our separate neighborhoods is something most of us have forgotten — government’s unconstitutional and systematic insistence on segregated housing in the mid-20th century, establishing patterns that persist to this day (Rothstein, 2017).

In his brief LA Times op-ed—expanded upon in far greater detail in his highly-acclaimed 2017 book entitled The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America—Rothstein describes in painful detail the administrative mechanisms carried out in the softly-spoken name of maintaining racial segregation.

Unlike the more overtly violent destruction of African-American towns, cities, capital and wealth that characterized the first half of the twentieth century[1], the post-World War II period saw more of the weaponization of “legalistic” tools (facilitating the implementation of “Jim Crow-like” strategies just the same, but operating under “the color of law”).

I mention this to provide a bit of social and historical context to the issue being addressed today, regarding what was done to the Black community in the city of Santa Monica, California. Today’s example involving the Ebony Beach Club was not so much the overt violence and terror stereotypical in many southern states in times past; instead, here in California it was often “faceless” bureaucracies, Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
4 involving large numbers of individuals who were willingly following orders from above. Regardless of whether it was through overt terror or discriminatory policies and procedures operating under the color of law, the end result was consistently the same: the planned segregation of human beings along the intersecting lines of race and class. The City of Santa Monica was no exception to this national strategy.

The specific example of the Ebony Beach Club in Santa Monica fits this more locally-specific, “California-style” racial segregation as described by Rothstein, almost perfectly:

Santa Monica City officials used eminent domain to take the Ebony Beach Club . . . . Under the guise of “urban renewal,” the City of Santa Monica is reported to have declared the property blighted and claimed it was needed for a parking lot. These urban renewal policies, which also razed the nearby Belmar neighborhood to build the Civic Center, intensified racial segregation, displacing Black communities and dividing neighborhoods along race and class lines (Email communication: “Returning the Ebony Beach Club Property to Its Rightful Owners,” 13 March 2024).

So—skipping over a lot of history—we have now seemingly entered the era of reparations discourse. It’s an interesting kind of “Time of Jubilee but with American characteristics.” It is time to contemplate— and hopefully act upon—redressing past injustices. Time and space will not allow me to address all the myriad global, national, and hyper-local factors that have brought us here to discuss this issue today.

That discussion will have to be left for another time.

What remains clear to me is that if this is a society that is based on notions of truth, justice, and fair competition in the great marketplace of American capitalism—then the community and families that gave rise to Ebony Beach Club (and so many other enterprises like it elsewhere) should be compensated, somehow, for the great injustice done to them under the color of law.

END
[1] For a more detailed and graphic description of an early twentieth century example of the violent destruction of AfricanAmerican towns and cities, see the John Singelton film, Rosewood (1997). --
Blaine D. Pope, Ph.D., MIA, MPA, MA
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drblainepope
It is indeed true that 'knowledge is power'. However, let us first seek the power attainable by the pursuit of knowledge, rather than the knowledge attainable by the pursuit of power. ~ BDP “The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious." ~ Marcus Aurelius

Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
1 David Yakobson
From: Ted Winterer <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 11:22 AM
To: Phil Brock; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra; Jesse Zwick; Oscar de la Torre; Caroline Torosis; Gleam Davis
Cc: councilmtgitems; David White
Subject: Item 16-L, 3/19/24 agenda

EXTERNAL
Councilmembers,
I am wholly supportive of this item, as it is one step towards righting the wrongs of our racist past.

Regards,
Ted Winterer
--
Ted Winterer
Realtor @Compass, 2115 Main Street Santa Monica
DRE #02047989
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
2 David Yakobson
From: Natalya Zernitskaya <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 11:04 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Phil Brock; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra; Jesse Zwick; Gleam Davis; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre; David White; [email protected] Subject: 3/19/2024 City Council Agenda Items 16L and 16M - Support

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Brock, Vice Mayor Negrete, and City Councilmembers, It is wonderful to witness a City Council so supportive of reparative justice that just weeks after being called on to seek a path towards repairing the harms of the racially motivated eminent domain seizure of the Ebony Beach Club land there are not one, but two agenda items on the matter.

This is a crucial step in the process of determining what options the City may have and what options Silas White’s descendants would accept.

As both agenda items 16L and 16M are on the same subject, I urge the Council to combine the items and unanimously support the resulting motion with the language and clear scope of work as laid out in item 16L:
"Direct the City Manager and City Attorney, in consultation with relevant departments, to report back to the Council in 90 days with: 1)Historical records documenting Silas White’s interest in the Ebony Beach Club Property at 1811 Ocean Avenue including chain of title and a record of any lease-to-purchase agreements that may exist, as well as the record of actions taken by the City of Santa Monica to seize this property by eminent domain. 2)Contemporaneous public writings, government communications, court documents, and other evidence that indicates the City of Santa Monica exercised racial animus in its decision to seize the property at 1811 Ocean Avenue. 3)Recommendations that include, at a minimum, steps the City of Santa Monica should take to repair past harm that the City perpetuated against Silas White and his descendants related to the Ebony Beach Club property at 1811 Ocean Avenue. Recommendations could include, as appropriate: a.

Options for financial compensation for the closest living descendant(s) of Silas White inclusive of wealth lost since the property was seized by the City of Santa Monica; and b. An outline of steps that may be required to transfer the parcel(s) of land referred to as “Ebony Beach Club” at 1811 Ocean Avenue or equivalent parcels in the portion of land within the area currently occupied all or in part by the Viceroy Hotel. Priority factors to be analyzed as part of the next steps should include: i. Any needs to amend the deed to the property to allow for such a transaction; ii. Identifying and addressing land and zoning restrictions; iii. Performing due diligence to determine the rightful legal heirs; iv. Understanding the tax implications upon the heirs in the event of transfer; and v. Assessing the operational and fiscal impact to the City and the Viceroy hotel, if any." I look forward to supporting the next steps towards justice for the family of Silas White when the City Attorney and City Manager return to the Council with their findings.

Sincerely,
Natalya Zernitskaya
Natalya Zernitskaya (she/her)
[email protected]
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
3 David Yakobson
From: Ify Mordi <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 10:28 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I write to you as a California resident urging you to vote YES on the Ebony Beach Club and Silas White resolution (item 16L) on March 19th, 2024. The injustice Silas White endured over 60 years ago must be repaired sooner rather than later.

Thank you,
Ify Mordi
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
4 David Yakobson
From: Miriam Webb <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 9:30 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I write to you as a [CA resident/ Santa Monica resident/ concerned community member] urging you to vote YES on the Ebony Beach Club and Silas White resolution (item 16L) on March 19th, 2024. The injustice Silas White endured over 60 years ago must be repaired sooner rather than later.

Thank you,
Miriam Webb
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
1 David Yakobson
From: Adam Susaneck <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 4:17 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: SUBJECT: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

It is crucial that the City Council not only bear witness to the White family cause but take action to repair the harm.

However, it's no secret that its attempts to repair are incongruous with the magnitude of devastation it intentionally inflicted.

Thank you,
Adam Susaneck
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
2 David Yakobson
From: Mykael Cammorto <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 12:15 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I write to you as a resident of California am urging you to vote YES on the Ebony Beach Club and Silas White resolution (item 16L) on March 19th, 2024. The injustice Silas White endured over 60 years ago must be repaired sooner rather than later.

Thank you,
Mykael Cammorto
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
3 David Yakobson
From: Dan Hall <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 11:30 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Phil Brock; Lana Negrete; Gleam Davis; Christine Parra; Oscar de la Torre; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick
Subject: SUPPORT: Item 16L

EXTERNAL
Mayor Brock, Vice Mayor Negrete, Councilmembers Davis, de la Torre, Parra, Torosis, and Zwick, I fully support Item 16L on the March 19th Agenda. During Black History Month, I wrote an op-ed in the Westside Voice online newspaper to support Councilmember Torosis's efforts in exploring restitution for the White family, which you can read here: https://westsidevoicela.com/2024/02/this-black-history-month-its-time-to-take-the-next-step-towardsjustice-in-santa-monica/ What impresses me the most about Item 16L is the level of detail and thoughtfulness in the proposal. I know this comes after months of research and discussion with the White family and Where Is My Land. It is a serious proposal, with specific asks of staff that are backed by her research and partnership with Where Is My Land. This is the kind of policy leadership we've come to expect of Councilmember Torosis.

I appreciate the intent of Item 16M, and commend its requesters for joining the calls to explore this important issue.

However I am not satisfied with the level of specificity and am worried that staff could come back with a unsatisfactory or half-explored proposal. I recommend you pass 16L instead.

Dan Hall
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
4 David Yakobson
From: Olivier G. <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 10:42 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I write to you as a concerned community member urging you to vote YES on the Ebony Beach Club and Silas White resolution (item 16L) on March 19th, 2024. The injustice Silas White endured over 60 years ago must be repaired sooner rather than later.

It is crucial that the City Council not only bear witness to the White family cause but take action to repair the harm.

Particularly in an election year, it is interesting to see how elected officials engage with the issues their constituents truly care about. Does your Black constituency matter? In the past few years, Santa Monica has attempted to rectify the devastating harm it wrought on its Black community. However, its no secret that its attempts to repair are incongruous with the magnitude of devastation it intentionally inflicted.

Thank you,
Olivier Germain
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
5 David Yakobson
From: sidonie smith <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 10:36 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Restitution for Silas White family

EXTERNAL
The Ebony Beach Club Property embodied the dream of an African-American man , Silas White who wanted to provide excellence in cultural awareness and support of Black people as well as providing opportunities for entertainment, so that all could embrace the Santa Monica American Entrepreneur dream.

When the City of Santa Monica seized this property under eminent domain and dashed this man’s dreams into the dirt, one can only imagine the devastating impact that this racially, motivated action had on him, his family and the African American community. It was another, “dream deferred”.

And now it seems the City Council has an opportunity to right a horrific wrong. The only question remains is whether or not the actions of the council will mirrored support their professed commitment to the concept of restitution for African Americans and other minorities who were wrongfully denied their access to the American dream.

Please return the Ebony Beach Club property to the Silas White family while the family can experience it.

Please, do the right thing
Thank you,
Rev Dr Sidonie Smith
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
6 David Yakobson
From: Patti Braun <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 10:36 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 16L

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor , Mayor Pro Tem and esteemed Council members, With the City’s published commitment to advance racial equity, and its stated acknowledgment of the effects of generaƟonal and insƟtuƟonal racism, and its consequences, which conƟnue to impact our residents, Santa Monica has wonderfully begun to lay a path forward to repair past harms.

To that end, I am wriƟng to ask Council to direct City staff to further invesƟgate the seizure of the Ebony Beach Club land and establish a process to return the land to the living heirs of Silas White, from whom the land was taken, and make efforts to compensate his descendants for wealth lost.

This acƟon will go a long way to right a 60-year-old wrong.  Moreover, it will lend credibility to the City of Santa Monica’s stated commitment “to addressing past harms”, while “idenƟfying and recƟfying the policies, pracƟces, and behaviors that perpetuate racism, discriminaƟon, and other negaƟve racial-based outcomes”.

Santa Monica’s example will surely inspire other city governments. Your vote to set resƟtuƟon in moƟon for the family of Silas White is a vote to help end systemic discriminaƟon in our society.

Please approve Item 16L. Thank you.

Paƫ Braun
Santa Monica resident for 32 years
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
7 David Yakobson
From: Jacob Wasserman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 9:20 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre Subject: Public Comment for Item 16.L

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
As a Santa Monica resident, I support strategies to repair past harms done by our government and return Ebony Beach Club land to its rightful owners/their heirs. It is morally incumbent to do so, and without such actions, the City's past apology rings hollow.

Sincerely,
Jacob Wasserman
11th Street and Washington Avenue
90403
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
8 David Yakobson
From: Cecily Williams <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 9:07 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

Thank you,
Cecily Williams
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
9 David Yakobson
From: Erika Bell <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 8:52 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 16 L, Council Agenda for 3/19/24

EXTERNAL
March 18, 2024
Santa Monica City Council
1685 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Subject: Returning Ebony Beach Club Property to Its Rightful Owners Dear Santa Monica City Council Members,
I am writing to express my strong support for the implementation of reparations in Santa Monica which, in this case, include financial compensation or the return of land, once known as Ebony Beach Club, to the descendants of Silas White. As a resident who values equity and justice, I believe that it is imperative for our city to take meaningful steps towards addressing historical injustices and systemic disparities that continue to impact marginalized communities.

Santa Monica has an opportunity to lead by example and demonstrate a commitment to social and economic justice. Reparations are a necessary step towards creating a more inclusive and fair society. By acknowledging and addressing the legacy of discriminatory practices, we can begin to heal past wounds and work towards a future where all residents have equal opportunities to thrive.

I urge the Santa Monica City Council to take the appropriate next steps for the city to put forth a plan to return the land or justly compensate the closest living descendant(s) of Silas White.

Thank you for considering my input on this issue.

Sincerely,
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
10 Erika Bell
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
11 David Yakobson
From: Fredo That guy <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 7:56 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

It is crucial that the City Council not only bear witness to the White family cause but take action to repair the harm. Particularly in an election year, it is interesting to see how elected officials engage with the issues their constituents truly care about. Does your Black constituency matter?
In the past few years, Santa Monica has attempted to rectify the devastating harm it wrought on its Black community. However, its no secret that its attempts to repair are incongruous with the magnitude of devastation it intentionally inflicted.

Thank you,
Alfred Johnson
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
12 David Yakobson
From: R Dudley <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 7:31 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Lana Davis
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I write to you as a concerned citizen urging you to vote YES on the Ebony Beach Club and Silas White resolution (item 16L) on March 19th, 2024. The injustice Silas White endured over 60 years ago must be repaired sooner rather than later. It is crucial that the City Council not only bear witness to the White family cause but take action to repair the harm. Particularly in an election year, it is interesting to see how elected officials engage with the issues their constituents truly care about.

Does your Black constituency matter?
In the past few years, Santa Monica has attempted to rectify the devastating harm it wrought on its Black community. However, its no secret that its attempts to repair are incongruous with the magnitude of devastation it intentionally inflicted.

Thank you,
Richard V. Dudley
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
13 David Yakobson
From: Kimberly Stegall <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 7:04 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Kimberly Stegall
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

Thank you,
Kimberly S
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
14 David Yakobson
From: VH Bryant <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 6:24 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I write to you as a CA resident concerned community member urging you to vote YES on the Ebony Beach Club and Silas White resolution (item 16L) on March 19th, 2024. The injustice Silas White endured over 60 years ago must be repaired sooner rather than later.

It is crucial that the City Council not only bear witness to the White family cause but take action to repair the harm.

However, its no secret that its attempts to repair are incongruous with the magnitude of devastation it intentionally inflicted.

Thank you for taking the time to read and act upon this message.

Victoria Bryant
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
15 David Yakobson
From: Bea Johnson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 5:34 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I write to you as a concerned community member] urging you to vote YES on the Ebony Beach Club and Silas White resolution (item 16L) on March 19th, 2024. The injustice Silas White endured over 60 years ago must be repaired sooner rather than later.

Thank you,
Bonestine Johnson
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
1 David Yakobson
From: Ayanna Holaman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 3:11 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I write to you as a concerned community member urging you to vote YES on the Ebony Beach Club and Silas White resolution (item 16L) on March 19, 2024. The injustice Silas White endured over 60 years ago must be repaired sooner rather than later.

It is crucial that the City Council not only bear witness to the White family cause but take action to repair the harm. Particularly in an election year, it is interesting to see how elected officials engage with the issues their constituents truly care about. Does your Black constituency matter? In the past few years, Santa Monica has attempted to rectify the devastating harm it wrought on its Black community. However, it is no secret that its attempts to repair are incongruous with the magnitude of devastation it intentionally inflicted.

Thank you,
Ayanna Holaman
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
2 David Yakobson
From: Angela Scott <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 3:01 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Lana Negrete; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Christine Parra; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick
Subject: Yes on Item 16L Repair Past Harms and Return Ebony Beach Club

EXTERNAL
- Subject: Restitution for the Unjust Seizure of Ebony Beach Club Honorable Members of the Santa Monica City Council,
I write to you today with a sense of urgency and a call for justice. The story of the Ebony Beach Club, once envisioned by Black entrepreneur Silas White, is a testament to both the resilience of our community and the painful legacy of racial discrimination.

In 1957, Silas White saw more than just an old Elks Club building at 1811 Ocean Avenue. He saw an opportunity—a canvas upon which he could paint a vision of inclusion, prosperity, and joy for his people. The “Ebony Beach Club” was to be more than bricks and mortar; it was to be a sanctuary—a place where Black families could find respite from the harsh realities of segregation and prejudice.

Silas’s dream was vivid: an exquisite front-entrance bar, a jazz stage resonating with soulful melodies, and exclusive golf tournaments where talent would shine. Fishing trips would weave bonds, and laughter would echo against the backdrop of the Pacific. The Ebony Beach Club was not just about leisure; it was about economic empowerment. Property ownership was a path to prosperity, a way to break free from the chains of systemic discrimination.

But the promise of Ebony Beach Club was short-lived. Within a year, the city of Santa Monica wielded its power—the power of eminent domain—to snatch Silas White’s dream away. The very policies meant to rejuvenate blighted areas became weapons of dispossession. The vibrant vision of the Ebony Beach Club was replaced by bureaucratic indifference, and Black joy turned to sorrow.

Urban renewal—a euphemism for urban removal—intensified racial segregation during the 1960s.

Communities were uprooted, bonds severed, and dreams shattered. The White Family, rightful owners of the land, were denied their legacy. The echoes of laughter and jazz were silenced, replaced by the cold machinery of injustice.

Today, we stand at a crossroads. The Ebony Beach Club site, once vibrant with possibility, now lies dormant. But it need not remain so. Justice demands that we right the wrongs of the past. The White Family deserves full restitution—not just for the land seized, but for the dreams deferred, the opportunities denied, and the cultural heritage erased.

Let us reclaim the spirit of Silas White—a visionary who dared to dream of a beach club where Black excellence thrived. Let us honor the memory of Nat King Cole and countless others who yearned for a space free from anti-Blackness. Let us dismantle the barriers that divide our neighborhoods along racial lines.

Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
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3 Ebony Beach Club should not be a footnote in history; it should be a beacon of resilience. It should be a place where equity and inclusion flourish, where economic growth is nurtured, and where the wounds of the past are healed.

As stewards of justice, you have the power to restore what was taken. Let us not merely acknowledge the injustice; let us rectify it. The Ebony Beach Club awaits its rightful place in the sun—a place where Black joy, leisure, and economic opportunity converge.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. May we move forward with purpose, guided by the principles of equity and compassion.

Sincerely,
Angela D. Scott (she/her), MBA/V
Student, Doctor of Education, Ed.D.

Organizational Change and Leadership
"You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas." - Shirley Chisholm
I acknowledge with respect and gratitude the Tongva, Kizh, and Chumash Peoples on whose traditional territory I live and work.

Item 16.L.

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Item 16.L.

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1 David Yakobson
From: Doug Reid <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 1:28 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

Thank you,
Douglas Reid
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
2 David Yakobson
From: Janay Tyson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 12:51 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

Thank you,
Janay
Janay Tyson
Founder, Curated Conversations
Account Supervisor, Team Epiphany
Head of Production, Swaps-A-Con
Membership and Outreach Manager, Girl Code NYC
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
3 David Yakobson
From: Gabrielle B <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 12:44 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

It is crucial that the City Council not only bear witness to the White family cause but take action to repair the harm.

However, its no secret that its attempts to repair are incongruous with the magnitude of devastation it intentionally inflicted.

Thank you,
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
4 David Yakobson
From: Heather Washington <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 12:30 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I write to you as a concerned CA resident urging you to vote YES on the Ebony Beach Club and Silas White resolution (item 16L) on March 19th, 2024. The injustice Silas White endured over 60 years ago must be repaired sooner rather than later.

Thank you,
Heather Washington
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
5 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 12:06 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: 'Lotte Lieb Dula'
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council:

I write to you as a concerned community member and ex-Santa Monica resident urging you to vote YES on the Ebony Beach Club and Silas White resolution (item 16L) on March 19th, 2024. The injustice Silas White endured over 60 years ago must be repaired.

It is crucial that the City Council not only bear witness to the White family's case for restitution but also take action to repair the harm. Does your Black constituency matter? In the past few years, Santa Monica has attempted to rectify the devastating harm it wrought on its Black community. Set a precedent and vote YES! In 2022, you apologized for ‘targeting communities of color for condemnation’ and vowed to ‘rectify the lingering consequences of discriminatory city policies. What specific, measurable, and relevant actions will you take to support these words? The lingering consequences are material, so plaques and art exhibits will not suffice.

Please - vote YES on the ‘Ebony Beach Club Restitution’ issue to your upcoming meeting agenda, particularly Mayor Pro Tem Lana Negrete who verbally agreed to back the restitution claim.

Silas White’s daughter, Connie, deserves to see restitution in her lifetime.

Thank you,
Lotte Lieb Dula
Founder
303-947-2380
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
6 David Yakobson
From: urelee gordon <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 11:57 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: SUBJECT: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I write to you as a CA resident urging you to vote YES on the Ebony Beach Club and Silas White resolution (item 16L) on March 19th, 2024. The injustice Silas White endured over 60 years ago must be repaired sooner rather than later.

It is crucial that the City Council not only bear witness to the White family cause but take action to repair the harm. Particularly in an election year, it is interesting to see how elected officials engage with the issues their constituents truly care about. Does your Black constituency matter? In the past few years, Santa Monica has attempted to rectify the devastating harm it wrought on its Black community. However, it's no secret that its attempts to repair are incongruous with the magnitude of devastation it intentionally inflicted.

Thank you,
Urelee E. Gordon, Jr.

Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
7 David Yakobson
From: Crystal Gordon <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 11:47 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: SUBJECT: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

It is crucial that the City Council not only bear witness to the White family cause but take action to repair the harm.

However, it's no secret that its attempts to repair are incongruous with the magnitude of devastation it intentionally inflicted.

Thank you,
Crystal D. Gordon
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
8 David Yakobson
From: Keshia Garnett <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 11:36 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I write to you as a person affected by systemic racism and its detrimental effect on the generational wealth of Black Americans urging you to vote YES on the Ebony Beach Club and Silas White resolution (item 16L) on March 19th, 2024. The injustice Silas White endured over 60 years ago must be repaired sooner rather than later.

Thank you,
Keshia Garnett
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
9 David Yakobson
From: Keisha Martin <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 11:22 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE YES ON AGENDA ITEM 16L: EBONY BEACH CLUB

The injustice Silas White endured over 60 years ago must be repaired sooner rather than later.

Thank you,
Keisha Lago Martin
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
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March 19, 2024
3 helped many of your immigrant ancestors come into this country.

The Freedmen's Bureau advocacy group is not associated/affiliated with the group "Where is My Land" but we are supporting their efforts for land back for specific groups of Black American families; https://whereismyland.org/
Best,
America Freedmen
https://thefreedmensbureau.org/ca-reparations-an-over-due-debt/ Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
1 David Yakobson
From: The Freedmens Bureau <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2024 5:03 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Housing Elements@HCD; housing; [email protected]; Phil Brock; Lana Negrete; Gleam Davis; Christine Parra; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre
Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]; Mayor Helpdesk; [email protected]; [email protected]; councilmember.harris[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: VOTE YES ON THE 16TH AGENDA ITEM: EBONY BEACH CLUB (Santa Monica land back for foundational Black Americans)

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I write to you as a Black American resident of CA and I'm urging you to vote YES on the Ebony Beach Club and Silas White resolution on March 19th, 2024. The injustice Silas White endured over 60 years ago must be repaired sooner rather than later.

It is crucial that the City Council not only bear witness to the White family cause, but the city must take action to repair the harm. Particularly in an election year, it is interesting to see how elected officials engage with the issues their constituents truly care about. Does your foundational Black American constituency matter?
In the past few years, Santa Monica has attempted to rectify the devastating harm it wrought on its Black community. However, it's no secret that its attempts to repair are incongruous with the magnitude of devastation it intentionally inflicted.

Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
2 In 2022, you apologized for ‘targeting communities of color for condemnation’ and vowed to ‘rectify the lingering
consequences of discriminatory city policies’. What specific, measurable, and TANGIBLE actions will you take to support these words? The lingering consequences are material, so plaques and art exhibits will not suffice.

As a reminder, Santa Monica city has been recently accused of intentionally misrepresenting Black American citizens in denying them equitable access to land and housing systems in a country that their ancestors helped to found. Santa Monica has been accused of using the affordable rental housing for white Eastern European immigrants only while denying Black Americans the land and housing that they are owed.

This is the first step as advocates on the ground take bigger steps to return land back to Black Americans, descendants of the U.S emancipation who have had their land & housing
stolen through systematic violence. We are preparing for action to take on the state in order to redistribute land back to a foundational population who helped to found towns like Los Angeles county including neighborhoods in Santa Monica city.

We are only going to get louder and this is just the beginning of direct demands/tangibles that Black Americans will be
requesting from the system of governance that has caused harm to our collective people. We will no longer stand for injustice against our foundational citizen population that Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024
Item 16.L.

March 19, 2024

Santa Monica City CouncilMarch 19, 2024

Santa Monica City Council
March 19, 2024