An update on the Silas White Family’s reparation request
March 26, 2025 3:40 PM
by Elaine Polachek, Douglas Sloan
Silas C. White was a prominent Black
entrepreneur who owned a few businesses and some property in Santa Monica and
the surrounding area. In the late 1950s, he embarked on his vision to create
the Ebony Beach Club, the first beach club to welcome Black families in Santa
Monica.
On March 19, 2024, Silas White’s family spoke before the
Santa Monica City Council claiming that the site where the proposed Ebony Beach
Club was to be located ― the area near where the Viceroy Hotel now sits ― was
taken by the city in the late 1950s in a racially motivated eminent domain
action.
In bringing the case forward, the
family is seeking the return of land or financial compensation, comparing their
situation to the Bruce’s Beach case in Manhattan Beach.
In response to the claims from the
White family, the City Council directed staff to research the historical
record.
Below is a summary of
what the city has learned from examining city records, court records, title
records, property legal descriptions and historical news reports spanning the past
60 years.
All of these findings
have been provided to the White family and are publicly available at santamonica.gov/equity.
City findings
On May 15, 1957, a
group of investors called Silas White & Associates signed a lease-to-purchase
agreement for land at 1811 Ocean Ave., which was owned by a white man named Bennett
Dorsey. White formed Ebony Beach Club as a nonprofit corporation in 1958 and
began soliciting memberships for the planned private club.
The agreement to
purchase the Ebony Beach Club site was for $200,000, which White would pay as a
lease in monthly installments of $2,700 per month for 15 years, with a second 15-year
extension option. The City Attorney’s Office found court records showing that
White completed one rental payment of $2,700 on behalf of the Ebony Beach Club,
Inc. before the site and surrounding properties were seized through eminent domain.
It's
the city’s understanding that White, through Silas White & Associates and
his nonprofit Ebony Beach Club Inc., entered into the lease-to-purchase
agreement with the intention of ultimately owning the property, but didn’t have
the capital or capability to buy it outright at the time. This was common for
entrepreneurs of color at that time, as they didn’t have access to business
loans or other sources of capital.
On
Aug. 29, 1958, the city filed a complaint for condemnation — more commonly
known as eminent domain — to seize five parcels of land that included the Ebony
Beach Club site and several surrounding parcels. The complaint named the owner
of the Ebony Beach Club property as Bennett Dorsey, and the Dicksons, a family that
had loaned Dorsey money to make improvements to the property.
On Oct. 15, 1959, the court awarded
$74,000 to Dorsey and the Dicksons, and issued a final judgment stating that
Ebony Beach Club, Inc., had no right, title, interest or estate in the
property.
Today, the Ebony Beach Club property makes up
about five percent of the land where the Viceroy Hotel sits, and mostly comprises
Vicente Terrace, a public street adjacent to the hotel.
In August 2024, the city
provided the family’s legal representatives with the findings of the investigation
and supporting documentation, also giving an opportunity for the family to
address any missing or incorrect information. At the last meeting between the
city and the White family, the family presented an estimated value of economic
loss at $125,000. The city requested additional documentation on this claim and
is waiting for a response.
The city remains engaged in
conversations with the White family about how to redress this historical wrong
in a way that is both meaningful and fiscally responsible.
Santa Monica’s reparative justice
program
The research and discussions around
the Silas White case make up just one example of the city’s efforts to acknowledge
and address historical racial injustices, while also ensuring that any form of
redress aligns with legal and fiduciary responsibilities.
The use of
eminent domain in Santa Monica has been documented to have disproportionately
impacted Black property owners and businesses. This history raises important
questions about how reparations efforts in Santa Monica should be structured,
who is eligible, and what resources can be allocated to support meaningful
repair.
These conversations have begun and
will continue with the city’s new Landback & Reparations
Task Force, composed of community members and experts in racial and
restorative justice. Supported by the city’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Team, this council-approved task force will engage in historical research,
community discussions, and policy development and ultimately shape
recommendations that reflect both the need for accountability and the city’s
responsibility to all residents.
Find more information about Santa Monica’s efforts at santamonica.gov/equity.
Authored By
Elaine Polachek
Interim City Manager
Douglas Sloan
City Attorney