Black vacation spots, such as Oak Bluffs and American Beach, continue to serve as sanctuaries for many today

Historic Black Resort Towns: A Legacy of Leisure and Community

In the early 20th century, as Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation across the United States, several communities emerged as safe havens for Black people seeking a place of leisure all their own. One such example is Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard, which became popular as a resort town offering an idyllic getaway with ice cream parlors and cozy cottages. Notable guests included Ethel Waters and Madam C. J. Walker.

Oak Bluffs, now as popular as ever, has a rich history that echoes the reasons for its founding. The town became a haven for Black people in the 1920s, offering a respite from the racial discrimination prevalent in many other parts of the country. However, the family who owned the resort abandoned their property in 1927, and the city immediately demolished it.

Despite the setbacks, other successful and prosperous areas continued to thrive. American Beach, founded by the state's first Black millionaire, Abraham Lincoln Lewis, in 1936, played host to icons like musician Ray Charles and heavyweight boxer Joe Louis. The town, located in Florida, remains a significant cultural landmark for the Black community today.

Another notable example is Sag Harbor in the Hamptons, which sold beachfront property to African Americans in the late 1940s and is still known as the "Black Hamptons." Meanwhile, Idlewild, Michigan, was nicknamed "The Summer Apollo of Michigan" due to its popularity in hosting performers like Louis Armstrong, James Brown, Duke Ellington, and B.B. King. The town boasted 300 Black-owned businesses serving 25,000 annual visitors.

However, many early attempts to create leisure spaces for Black people were left devastated. For instance, King's Wigwam, a Black country club near Atlanta, was forced to sell their land just four years after opening. Some of these once-prominent resort towns are considered "endangered" today, such as the Hotel Casa Blanca in Idlewild, which is in dire need of rehabilitation.

A National Park Service study identified over 450 recreational areas catering to Black people over the course of the Jim Crow era. One such example is Fox Lake Resort in Indiana, the first resort for Black people in the state, which still has homes in the hands of the descendants of the original owners. American Beach, too, continues to host visitors seeking a connection to the past.

Recently, Ralph Lauren announced a new collection centered around Oak Bluffs, a historic resort town in Martha's Vineyard. This renewed interest in these communities serves as a testament to their enduring legacy and the importance of preserving these cultural landmarks for future generations.

However, the story of these communities is not just one of leisure and relaxation. They also represented the American dream for many Black people, offering a vision of prosperity and possibility. This is evident in the success and prosperity of these areas, which made the American dream feel possible for Black people.

One example of this is Manhattan Beach in California, where city officials conspired against the Bruce family to steal the land that made up Bruce's Beach, a resort for Black visitors. Despite the injustice, the legacy of these communities lives on, as does the fight for justice and equality.

Zora Neale Hurston, a prominent writer and anthropologist, married at the American Beach resort, further cementing its cultural significance. These communities were more than just vacation destinations; they were places where Black people could come together, celebrate their culture, and strive for a better future.

In conclusion, the history of these Black resort towns is one of resilience, community, and the pursuit of the American dream. Despite the challenges they faced, these communities thrived, offering a respite from racial discrimination and a vision of prosperity and possibility. Today, they serve as important cultural landmarks and reminders of the struggles and triumphs of the past.