A Portion of the Black History of Venice of America

By Margaret Molloy

Abbot Kinney was a published eugenicist. Venice of America opened on July 4, 1905 as a segregated recreation development for Whites only to enjoy. The Black community that built and maintained Venice of America, and envisioned much of its success, was relegated to an area of restrictive covenant known today as Oakwood. Sanborn Maps show the Venice of America “Commercial District” on Abbot Kinney Boulevard (previously known as Lake Street, and later West Washington Boulevard) between Westminster Avenue and Venice Boulevard only. The area north of that was known as the “back country” and excluded from Venice of America. That area is known as Oakwood today. Black people were excluded from the public beach and ocean in Venice. The only public beach area available to Black people was in Santa Monica, and called “Inkwell” by the White community.

Existing thriving coastal Black communities in Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach were decimated, first by White vigilantes and later by the segregationist policy of eminent domain implemented by those city governments. The Black community in Venice was the first intentional Black coastal community in all of California, and is the only remaining intentional Black coastal community on the entire West Coast. As such, the Venice Black community must be recognized and protected as a Sensitive Coastal Resource Area defined in Section 30116 of the Coastal Act. Section 30116 is a specifically “inclusive” policy. Section 30116 is embedded in its entirety in the Venice Land Use Plan (LUP) certified by the California Coastal Commission in 2001, but has never been appropriately acted on, to the detriment of this community.

The Ku Klux Klan was very active in California, including in Venice in the early 19th century. A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raid on the Klan headquarters in downtown Los Angeles in 1925 exposed that registered Klan members included prominent businesspeople in Venice and Ocean Park (Santa Monica). The register also included police and civic leaders in Hermosa Beach and other areas of Los Angeles.

In spite of all of this, Arthur Reese became Abbott Kinney’s right-hand man and the official “town decorator” of Venice of America. The contributions of Mr. Reese’s creative vision built by his crews of workers mostly from southern states, embodying the spirit of Louisiana and the Mardi Gras, with joy, warmth, and celebration became embodied in the culture of Venice. That is very far from the spirit of the Victorian White community of that day. Then and now, the description of the “Spirit of Venice” as a unique, creative, Bohemian culture, with cultural capital and economic capital based on that culture, has been accrued without ever recognizing the source of that Spirit in the Venice Black community.

Additionally, Abbot Kinney deeded his personal home on the Venice Canals to Irvin Tabor, his chauffeur and confidant. Mr. Tabor had to tow that home to its current location at 1310 6th Avenue in Oakwood because of the prohibition on Black people living in the Venice Canals at the time.

A March 27, 1920 article in the Venice Vanguard titled, “Character Not Color” exposed the unique circumstances in Venice. This history should be celebrated and preserved at all costs, as a living lesson to other communities in a time of racial divide.

The mansionization and gentrification of Venice these days is replicating the divisions of old in the most painful of ways: physically, spiritually, economically, and socially. It has to stop! Original Save Venice encourages you all to visit the Venice Black History photo exhibit in the lobby of the Venice library.

Venice Vanguard – 3/27/1920 The sooner that sanity and not vanity prevails in some sections of this country, the sooner we will have the results that many are striving for.

CHARACTER, NOT COLOR

Never in the history of Venice, we believe, has there been a colored man appointed to the election board. We are proud of our town to know that its people are broad-minded and high-minded enough to recognize worth and character, and quality, instead of inequality. Mr. Arthur Reese has been in Venice for a number of years, a man of family, property owner, and is a highly respected citizen. The sooner we recognize the principles and capabilities of a man, regardless of creed or color, prejudice will be overcome. The great emancipator saw fit to free the slaves: he believed all men were born equal in God’s sight, and if that great mind saw fit to work and fight for the cause, he would expect us to do the same.