The grassroots organization Where Is My Land, founded by activist and advocate Kavon Ward, has announced a temporary suspension of its research, media, and advocacy services due to funding shortages.
The pause comes just weeks after the group helped the descendants of Silas White reach remediation for the land taken from him in the 1950s—marking yet another victory in its mission to deliver justice to Black families whose properties were unjustly seized.
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White, a Black entrepreneur, purchased land in Santa Monica in 1957 with the dream of opening the Ebony Beach Club, a rare space for the Black community to gather and socialize during segregation.
Just a year later, the city seized the land under eminent domain. Today, that property is home to the Viceroy Hotel. For decades, White’s family had no idea their inheritance had been stripped away until Where Is My Land uncovered the history and began advocating on their behalf.
The successful push for compensation in White’s case mirrors the group’s earlier high-profile win: the historic return of Bruce’s Beach in Manhattan Beach to the Bruce family, who had their land seized under similar circumstances in the 1920s.
Ward has described these cases not just as victories for individual families, but as precedents for restitution, reparations, and recognition of systemic land theft.
“It opened up a lot of hope for Black people who have had their land stolen,” she said after the Bruce’s Beach ruling.
Despite these milestones, Where Is My Land now faces financial obstacles that have forced the organization to suspend core services. On its website, the nonprofit shared:
“As a result of funding shortages and a lack of investment, Where Is My Land has temporarily suspended providing research, media and advocacy services. However, due to high demand, our CEO Kavon Ward is offering one-on-one consultations.”
The announcement highlights the challenge many grassroots organizations face: balancing high demand for their work with limited financial support.
Many Black families continue to turn to Where Is My Land for help uncovering property histories, navigating city bureaucracies, and fighting for restitution.
As Ward continues one-on-one consultations, the future of Where Is My Land will depend on whether philanthropic and institutional funders step in to sustain its mission.
