Source: Courtesy / @BlackGirlBeachDay A little positivity! ‘Black Girl Beach Day’ Returns To Historically Black Atlantic City Beach Attention: Black women and girls needing a safe space to lay down your towels and boogie-board in the Tri-State area. After successfully hosting over 300 people of color last summer, #BlackGirlBeachDay is BACK. The event was born from the brilliant minds of Christina Bright and Snap Lancaster . After the friends curated a small beach gathering two years ago Black Women from all over attended the next year, expanding their attendance nearly tenfold. Unfortunately, the ladies ran into some struggles including cops harassing them over ‘loud music’. Now they’re legitimizing the meetup. This year’s event will include security, lifeguards, a carpool and a plethora of activities. Even more impressive, they’re taking their talents to Atlantic City’s historically Black Chicken Bone Beach . This landmark was a HOT SPOT for Black folks in the area which was segregated up until the 1960s… View this post on Instagram After @normablonde_ commented under one of our pics a few months back that we should consider #CHICKENBONEBEACH for our next location …we did our googles and our JAWS DROPPED! As two women who were born and raised in Jersey why didn’t we know that such a rich history was right on the #JerseyShore ?!?? . A QUICK HISTORY LESSON: In the mid 20th century, there was a rising black middle class that wanted to participate in all the recreational activities the city offered. Chicken Bone Beach was a rare haven for families seeking some oceanside relief from the heat and quickly became a HOT SPOT! . . . When Chicken Bone Beach was segregated , many of the nearby restaurants refused to serve black customers. As such, families would have to pack their own picnic lunches. Their leftovers would litter the beach, scattered by animals and the elements. The name Chicken Bone Beach arose from the large amounts of leftover bones found in the sand. With the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, all Atlantic City beaches were open to everyone and this all-black beach disappeared. By the 1970s Casinos further changed the culture of the beach by making Atlantic City into a world class resort which in turn limited access to all working class families. To protect this endangered African American heritage site, the Atlantic City Council passed an ordinance in 1997, declaring Chicken Bone Beach (also known as the Missouri Avenue Beach) into an historical landmark. . . Fast forward , in 2019 @blackgirlbeachday wants to share the rich history and heritage of #CHICKENBONEBEACH with the masses by hosting our 3rd and BIGGEST #blackgirlbeachday here! Tag a friend , share, and let’s continue to remind the world of the legacies our ancestors built !!!! A post shared by Black Girl Beach Day (@blackgirlbeachday) on Jul 26, 2019 at 11:56am PDT Even our boy MLK was on this historic beach! Seems like a dope place to get your beach day on. Hit the flip to Martin Luther THEE King Jr. On Chicken Bone Beach, and get more info on what’s happening at #BlackGIrlBeachDay.
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Here’s Why #BlackGirlBeachDay Is THE Melanin Meet Up To Attend…And It’s Happening On This Historically Black Beach!
