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When segregation was the law of the land, resort towns started popping up around the US that accommodated Black beach goers. These are just 5 of them.
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Hopefully by this summer, COVID will finally be behind us
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And that means traveling and road trips. So in this episode of The Five, we're going to look at five historically black beaches
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for you to enjoy on your next road trip. Hi, my name is Jared and welcome to The Five
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Or in this episode, Welcome to the Beach, where we're going to share five interesting things in black culture and society in every episode
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Don't forget to subscribe and hit that bell so you can get notified when we release new videos
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There was once a time when beaches were segregated. Some beaches and resort towns that were once designated for black people are now considered historical
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Let's start with number one, Oak Bluff at Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts
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Oak Bluff is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts
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Although African descendants first arrived at Martha's Vineyard in the 1600s as slaves
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the town later on became popular for freed slaves and laborers. After slavery was abolished, more African Americans arrived to work in the fishing industry
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The population then began to grow, attracting even more residents from Massachusetts mainland
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Middle-class blacks began to buy summer homes in this historical town in the late 19th and 20th century
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and it became a popular destination for their descendants to return to annually
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While other towns in Martha's Vineyard did not welcome blacks, Oak Bluff became the only place to attract African-American vacationers from New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C
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By the 1930s, the town had transformed into the best known black vacation spot in the country
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This historical beach town has remained popular over the years. Some famous people that loved to vacation at Oak Bluffs include President Barack Obama and the late Maya Angelou One of the main attractions in this town is Shearer Cottage which was built by Charles Shearer the son of a slave
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and slave owner. When Shearer saw that black visitors were not able to stay anywhere else due
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to segregation, he turned the cottage into the very first inn for African-American vacationers
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Number 2, Highland Beach in Maryland. This super small town was founded in the late 19th century by affluent African Americans
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from Baltimore and Washington D.C. who were looking for a summer destination on the Chesapeake Bay
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The birth of Highland Beach takes us back to 1893. Charles Redmond Douglas, son of Frederick Douglas, and wife Laura were looking to dine
2:47
at a nearby Bay Ridge Resort, but they got turned away because of their race
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Charles Douglas, who served with the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment of the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War
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then took it upon himself to buy beachfront property directly south of the Bay Ridge
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He bought 40 acres with 500 feet of beachfront on the Chesapeake Bay and sold lots to family and friends
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He built two homes on it, one for his family and one for his father, a house that is now called the Douglas Summer House
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Unfortunately, although Frederick Douglass visited the area, he died before his house was finished being built
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It was listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1992
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As more homes got built, the town turned into a gathering place for upper-class African Americans
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Some residents and guests of the town include Harriet Tubman, W.E.B. Du Bois, Langston Hughes, Paul Roberson, Robert Weaver, and Paul Lawrence Dunbar
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The town now has year-round residents who have not permitted commercial establishments
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There are about 60 homes, but only half of the population now identifies as black according to a 2018 survey
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Number three Inkwell Beach in Santa Monica California African Americans on the west coast were not spared from segregation Although California law allowed for equal access to all public recreational
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locations, that did not deter white residents from harassing black beachgoers. That created
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small enclaves of beaches that were safe havens for African Americans looking for some fun in the
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sun. This small area in Santa Monica was referred to as the Inkwell, as an insult by white residents
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in reference to the skin color of the beach goers. That name, however, turned into a badge of pride for African Americans who embraced it
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The Inkwell was located near Phillips Chapel Christian Methodist Church, the first black church in Santa Monica
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This area also saw some black settlement. Black beach goers from all over Southern California flocked to the Inkwell
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to socialize and enjoy the ocean breeze. The beach continued to be a center of leisure for blacks well into the 1960s
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On February 7, 2008, the city of Santa Monica officially recognized the inkwell with a landmark monument at Bay Street and Oceanfront Walk
5:14
Number 4, American Beach in Florida. American Beach was founded back in 1935 by Florida's first black millionaire, Abraham Lincoln Lewis
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He was the owner of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company, and he wanted his employees to have a place to vacation and build their own beach homes
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In the next two decades, American Beach grew into a popular beach resort town filled with hotels, restaurants, residential homes, and nightclubs
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Zora Neale Hurston, Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, Joe Louis, Hank Aaron, and more black celebrities vacationed at American Beach
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In 1964, this resort town was hit hard by Hurricane Dora, which destroyed many homes and buildings
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The same year, the Civil Rights Act desegregated beaches in Florida. The combination of these two events led to the decrease in popularity of American Beach Abraham Lincoln Lewis granddaughter fought for the preservation of the town in the late 1970s She planted trees there and gave historical tours until her death in 2005
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Number 5 Atlantic Beach in South Carolina Commonly nicknamed the Black Pearl, Atlantic Beach was formed of mostly descendants of slaves
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who lived for 300 years on the Sea Island from Wilmington, North Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida
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Starting in the early 1930s, African Americans opened hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, and various shops in Atlantic Beach
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African Americans looking for beach getaways flocked to Atlantic Beach from all over the southern states
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Located between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, Atlantic Beach continues to be a major tourist attraction
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Many of the properties and businesses are still Black-owned. Black Bike Week is hosted there every year which attracts large crowds of African-American outdoor enthusiasts
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That's five but you know what for today let's add one more. Sag Harbor in New York
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Think of Sag Harbor as the Black Hampton. This small town on Long Island was first envisioned by Madi Terry who came across the underdeveloped land while fishing in the late 1930s
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She loved the place and imagined it turning into a place for black families to relax and enjoy the beach
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Terry and her sister Meredith brokered a deal between the landowners and black families who bought land to build their own homes by the beach
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After World War II, more African Americans settled in Sag Harbor in a neighborhood called Sag Harbor Hills
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Land was affordable for those who were able to secure loans and more and more families moved in
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Today, this small community has managed to fight off gentrification and keep its identity
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Let me know if you've been to any of these beaches or you're planning to this summer if we can
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That's it for this episode. We'll be back with another episode in Black Culture and Society
#People & Society
#Discrimination & Identity Relations
#Tourist Destinations
#Beaches & Islands