In the 1960s, during the time of peace love and groovy, the City of Santa Monica forced an entire community of People of Color to move so that a freeway could be built to allow more (whiter) people direct access to the beach.  Santa Monica had been home to a thriving community of black business owners, homeowners, and renters.  The first freed black man to register to vote in California (looking at you 1880!) lived in Santa Monica, and the first black professional-amateur surfer (hello 1920!) also came from Santa Monica.  Regardless of the heritage or the history, the City of Santa Monica used eminent domain as the legal justification for disrupting the lives and livelihoods of several hundred residents, all in the name of progress.  But now it's all OK because Santa Monica is offering the descendants (and some surviving former residents) first place in line for affordable housing back in Santa Monica!

Covid Update: Theo's fine.  It was negative.