November 26, 2025
Santa Monica will pay $350,000 to Silas White’s descendants for land unlawfully seized in the 1950s.
The city of Santa Monica has agreed to a $350,000 settlement with the descendants of a Black entrepreneur whose plans to open a Black beach club were derailed when his land was unjustly seized in the 1950s.
On Nov. 18, the Santa Monica City Council unanimously approved a $350,000 settlement in closed session for the family of Silas White, a Black businessman who leased a building on Ocean Avenue with plans of opening an exclusively Black hotel and beach club, the LA Times reports. Instead, the city seized the property, claiming it needed the land to build a nearby auditorium.
The settlement follows a month of mediation that resolved a claim filed by White’s family. According to Mayor Pro Tempore Caroline Torosis, it is part of the city’s broader effort to provide meaningful reparations to Black residents affected by past racial injustices.
“I hate to say this, but the city of Santa Monica took a series of actions to deprive Black Americans of the opportunity of being in Santa Monica. Our history books show that systemic racism, oppression, and discrimination happened,” Torosis said.
“We as a council made a decision that despite the fact we’re facing a very challenging financial time, we want to dedicate funding because [a formal apology to the Black community] is great, but unless it comes with money and meaningful repair, it’s just an empty word.”
The settlement comes over a year after White’s family first revealed how the city thwarted Silas White’s plans to open the Ebony Beach Club at 1811 Ocean Ave. during the segregated 1950s. Registered as a nonprofit, the club was set to open on Oct. 15, 1958, as advertised on signs outside the building.
However, court records show the city stepped in, claiming the land was needed for the nearby Santa Monica Civic Auditorium project. The property faced a condemnation complaint, or eminent domain, which allows the city to seize private land for public use.
“I’m not doing this because of money,” Constance White said in a 2024 Instagram video. “I’m doing this because of justice and for the future of all people. It’s not only my case. As you research, there are thousands of people who have had this happen to them.”
White’s planned club would have stood on what is now Vicente Terrace, a public street adjacent to the upscale Viceroy Hotel. The city notes that roughly 5% of the hotel’s land was once leased by White.
As part of the settlement, Torosis announced that a section of Vicente Terrace will be renamed Silas White Street, and an exhibit honoring White will be created inside the city’s Main Library, with his family contributing materials. Silas White Day will be officially observed on Oct. 12.
