Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start to summer, and the three-day weekend is the perfect time to plan a getaway to the beach. Historically, though, it hasn’t always been easy for Black Americans to gather at the beach. Because of segregation and Jim Crow laws, Black residents were shut out from enjoying beaches, but we still found ways to flourish, buying up beachfront lots and creating inclusive spaces for lovers of sun and sand. These same Black-founded beaches are still around, a testament to our community’s resilience and dedication to creating joy against all odds.
If you’re an aquaphile looking to make some travel plans, check out these five Black historic beaches to visit during Memorial Day weekend and beyond.
Historic Virginia Key Beach, Florida
Just minutes from downtown Miami via the Rickenbacker Causeway bridge, Historic Virginia Key Beach has been a haven for Black Miamians for almost a century. The city of Miami was founded in 1896, but segregation excluded the Black residents from enjoying its coastlines. After wading in protests at the whites-only Haulover Beach, county officials designated Virginia Key (a small island accessible only by boat) as an official “colored only” beach. On August 1, 1945, the beach was officially established as “Virginia Beach, a Dade County Park for the Exclusive Use of Negroes” and it became a hub for social gatherings, BBQs, and even religious services. The city closed the beach in 1982 because of high maintenance costs, but it reopened to the public in 2008. Today, all visitors can enjoy the park’s amenities, like the vintage beach cabanas, guided walking tours, pavilions with BBQ grills, a miniature train ride and carousel, and access to bike trails and paddleboard rentals. Some annual events at Virginia Key Beach include the Food Wine & Fete in May and the Juneteenth Beach Bash. The park will also be celebrating its 80th anniversary in August.
Bruce’s Beach, California
In California, Black entrepreneurs Willa and Charles Bruce bought two lots of land in Manhattan Beach in 1912 and 1920, with plans to turn them into a seaside resort. The couple opened Bruce’s Lodge, welcoming Black beachgoers to an inclusive space. When other Black families started buying lots around the Bruce’s beach, the flourishing resort area was met with hostility from white residents. Prompted by a petition from white residents in 1924, the Manhattan City Beach council voted to condemn the land to build a public park, driving the Bruce family out of the area. The beach was demolished and lay vacant until a park was finally built in 1956. In 2007, Manhattan Beach’s first Black city council member championed renaming the beach to Bruce’s Beach, and in 2022, the descendants of the Bruces were compensated for the sale of the beach to Los Angeles County. If you’re planning a visit, the public beach features a small picnic area with benches, a basketball court, and markers that recount its significant history. Bruce’s Beach also hosts an annual Juneteenth celebration.
Inkwell Beach, Massachusetts
Martha’s Vineyard, an island seven miles off the coast of Massachusetts, is famous for being the filming location for Jaws, but it’s also a summer destination for Black families. Since the 1890s, Inkwell Beach, part of Oak Bluffs Town Beach, has been a summertime sanctuary for Black families seeking reprieve from segregation and discrimination. Word spread among Black vacationers about the beach town, and families began to buy property or open businesses on the island. There are two theories about the origin of the name Inkwell Beach. Some say it’s a negative term given by white beachgoers to describe Black residents who frequented the beach, while others say it’s an homage to the Harlem Renaissance writers like Langston Hughes and Dorothy West, who would vacation there. If you decide to visit, consider booking a room at Black-owned The Inkwell Beach House, which is owned by Kahina Van Dyke, curator of the annual Juneteenth Jubilee Festival in Oak Bluffs.
Atlantic Beach, South Carolina
Known as the “Black Pearl,” South Carolina’s Atlantic Beach was founded in 1934 as a gathering place for Black residents. The Black-owned and governed oceanfront community, nestled within North Myrtle Beach, is only four blocks long, yet it has had a significant historical impact. Many of the residents of Atlantic Beach are descendants of South Carolina’s Gullah Geechee people, a tight-knit community of Black Americans from the Lowcountry whose isolated enslavement led to a distinct culture. After its founding, Atlantic Beach attracted Black businesses and restaurants, becoming a hub of culture and entertainment. Today, Atlantic Beach is one of the last remaining Black-owned beach communities in the United States. It’s home to the Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival every Memorial Day weekend and the Gullah Geechee Heritage Festival every August.
Highland Beach, Maryland
In 1893, Charles Remond Douglass, the youngest son of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, purchased a parcel of land that would eventually become Highland Beach, the first Black beach resort community in the United States. The first cottage was built in 1894, and Douglass invited his friends to visit. Highland Beach quickly became a magnet for prominent Black intellectuals, including Paul Robeson, Booker T. Washington, and W.E.B. Du Bois. Highland Beach was incorporated in 1922, becoming the first Black municipality in Maryland. Today, the area houses about 80 homes, many of which are owned by descendants of the original settlers. To preserve the beach’s history, Twin Oaks, the cottage where Frederick Douglass vacationed, was eventually converted into the Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center.
