Brunson Circle Naming

As part of its restorative justice efforts, the city of Santa Monica renamed the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Euclid Street, Brunson Circle, to commemorate Donald Brunson, popularly known as the first Black child born in Santa Monica in 1907. Their longtime family residence was located on this corner.

Female descendants at the Brunson Circle naming ceremony. In 2022, the city of Santa Monica officially named the section of Michigan Avenue where the Brunson homestead stood to honor the pioneering family as an important part of the city’s heritage.

Selena McDonald Brunson and Charles E.A. Brunson holding Donald A. Brunson, 1907.