Missouri Avenue Beach, also known as Chicken Bone Beach

Missouri Avenue Beach, often referred to as "Chicken Bone Beach,"[1] was an early and mid-twentieth-century Black resort destination and racially segregated section of the Atlantic Ocean beach at Atlantic City, New Jersey (between Missouri and Mississippi Avenues).[2][3] The name was initially most likely a pejorative or condescending reference to the packed lunches brought by beachgoers who were not permitted by unspoken sentiment in many dining establishments, but the Black community has reclaimed the name as a point of resistance and pride.[4] The beach is now home to swimming, sunbathing, jazz and other local events.

History

Blacks and whites lived in the area side by side with few problems after the American Civil War.[5] It was not until 1900 that the beach became segregated, due in part to pressures by local businesses.[6] It remained a blacks only beach until the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.[7] During segregation and the Jim Crow era other area beaches did not allow African American visitors. It was given its colloquial name by locals due to the chicken bones presumably found in this segregated area during regular clean ups, although by all accounts the reports were simply unfounded.[8] While there were no signs nor laws prohibiting blacks from enjoying the entirety of the beach, the segregation was rigidly enforced by local authorities or more commonly, white beachgoers.[8] The Atlantic City Beach Patrol was officially desegregated, but its black members were in practice consigned to Missouri Avenue Beach.[9] Desegregation came in the 1960s.[10]

Black showgirls at Club Harlem were said to have called the beach "Sunshine Row" during midcentury, when stars like Sammy Davis, Jr., Louis Jordan, the Mills Brothers, and Jackie “Moms” Mabley performed in the city.[11][12][13]

Martin Luther King, Jr. was photographed on a family vacation to the beach in 1956.[14]

Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation

The Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation, founded by Atlantic City native Henrietta W. Shelton, installed a commemorative marker to mark Chicken Bone Beach in 2015.[15][16]

Chicken Bone Beach Jazz

The Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation offers weekly Chicken Bone Beach Jazz concerts. In the summer, they are held next to the beach, at the Kennedy Plaza outdoor amphitheater.[17] In the cooler months, Chicken Bone Beach Jazz plays at the Claridge Hotel.[18][19]

Chicken Bone Beach Youth Jazz Institute offers free music lessons.[20][21][18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ NJ.com, Bill Duhart | For (February 14, 2021). "N.J. beach was the only one that allowed Black tourists, but they made it a hip place to be". nj.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ Stansfield, Charles A. (2004). Vacationing on the Jersey Shore: Guide to the Beach Resorts: Past and Present. Stackpole. p. 88. ISBN 9780811729703.
  3. ↑ "Charles Library's newest exhibition celebrates Atlantic City's historic Chicken Bone Beach". Temple Now | news.temple.edu. July 27, 2022.
  4. ↑ Scott, Ron (August 10, 2023). "Chicken Bone Beach, Dizzy's, Great Jazz on the Great Hill". New York Amsterdam News.
  5. ↑ "N.J. Beach was the only one that allowed Black tourists, but they made it a hip place to be". July 13, 2019.
  6. ↑ "State of the Arts | Chicken Bone Beach Jazz | Season 37 | Episode 7 | PBS" – via www.pbs.org.
  7. ↑ Stephens, Ronald J. (February 12, 2014). "Chicken Bone Beach, Atlantic City, New Jersey (1900- )". BlackPast.org. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  8. 1 2 Hopper, Dale. "Our History: Black History". ChickenBoneBeach.org. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  9. ↑ Cunningham, John T.; Cole, Kenneth D. (2000). Atlantic City. Arcadia. p. 50. ISBN 9780738504261.
  10. ↑ Jones, Jae (December 1, 2022). "Atlantic City: How Missouri Avenue Beach Came to Be Known As".
  11. ↑ "Legacy of Chicken Bone Beach Lives Within Henrietta Shelton - Front Runner New Jersey". frontrunnernewjersey.com. October 22, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Chicken Bone Beach | New Jersey - CBBHFI".
  13. ↑ "Chicken Bone Beach: A Pictorial History of Atlantic City's Missouri Avenue Beach" – via www.youtube.com.
  14. ↑ "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Chicken Bone Beach". digital.library.temple.edu.
  15. ↑ "Chicken Bone Beach Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org.
  16. ↑ "About Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation, Inc. | New Jersey".
  17. ↑ "Enjoy free jazz concerts every Thursday in AC - Shore Local Newsmagazine". July 13, 2023.
  18. 1 2 Writer, VINCENT JACKSON Staff (April 24, 2023). "Atlantic City's Chicken Bone Beach and Northside celebrated in new book". Press of Atlantic City.
  19. ↑ "NJ Casino Control Commission Recognizes Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation". December 7, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Henrietta Shelton discusses the Chicken Bone Beach Youth Jazz Institute" – via www.youtube.com.
  21. ↑ Kellert, Mae (July 8, 2023). "History and Jazz on the Beach in Atlantic City". State Of The Arts - NJ.

39°21′15″N 74°26′10″W / 39.3541°N 74.4362°W / 39.3541; -74.4362

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