ABOUT THE PROJECT
The Black Land Loss Narratives Archive Project (BLLNAP) is a nonprofit initiative dedicated to uncovering and preserving the overlooked stories of Black land loss in America.
Through partnerships with civic groups and HBCUs, BLLNAP aims to collect over 1,000 personal narratives over the next five years—shining a light on the policies and practices that stripped millions of acres of land, homes, and businesses from Black families. These losses have played a major role in deepening the racial wealth gap and limiting generational opportunity.
Inspired by the return of Bruce’s Beach in 2022, BLLNAP recognizes the power of storytelling to drive justice. Like the Shoah Foundation’s archive of Holocaust testimonies, our digital collection will serve as a resource for education, advocacy, and policy change—ensuring these stories are never forgotten and help guide a more equitable future.
ABOUT OUR FOUNDER
George Fatheree is the founder of the Black Land Loss Narratives Archive Project, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to collecting, preserving, and amplifying stories of Black land loss in America.
George is best known for leading the historic return of Bruce’s Beach—the first instance in U.S. history where the government returned land to a Black family. He also played a pivotal role in rescuing the iconic Ebony and Jet photography archives from bankruptcy, ensuring their preservation for future generations. His advocacy has extended to securing reparations for Holocaust survivors and arguing before the California Supreme Court on behalf of public school students with disabilities.
Before founding the Archive Project, George spent over 16 years practicing law at top firms including Skadden Arps, Munger, Tolles & Olson, and Sidley Austin, specializing in commercial real estate and art law. Earlier in his career, he clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals and worked in public education reform, management consulting, and internet entrepreneurship—a venture that earned him recognition as one of Silicon Alley’s Top Minority Entrepreneurs.
Almost a century ago, the city of Manhattan Beach seized the properties that make up the park known today as Bruce’s Beach. In 1995, the two parcels closest to the ocean were transferred to Los Angeles County. Credit / Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times
Willa Bruce (Left) with her daughter-in-law and her sister in Manhattan Beach in the 1920s. Credit / California African American Museum, via Alison Rose Jefferson
Visitors to Bruce's Beach in 1920. Credit / Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection - UCLA
Anthony Bruce, the great-great-grandson of Charles and Willa Bruce, speaks at a press conference where California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 796, authorizing the return of ocean-front land to the Bruce family. Credit / Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images
SUPPORT BLLNAP
Support the Black Land Loss Narrative Archive Project by donating or by simply spreading the word to inspire awareness, activism, leadership, and change. Join us in making a lasting impact!