Chicken bone beach a reminder of new jersey's not so racially equal history

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – If you look on Google Maps, in Atlantic City, you’ll find a beach that even today, some still refer to as “Chicken Bone Beach”. If you walk straight out the doors of the Rainforest cafe, cross the boardwalk and enter the beach, you’ll be on Chicken Bone Beach, a beach that once served as the “Colored Only” segregated beach in the city. The problems in Atlantic City started around the turn of the twentieth century. It was a time when blacks and whites across New Jersey shared the beaches without any problems or concerns.

According to Blackpast.Org, things started to change for African Americans in the early 1900’s as Atlantic City began to attract more vacationers from the Jim Crowe states of the south during the segregation era. Eventually, African Americans were segregated to the beach area near Missouri Avenue, home of the present-day Rainforest Cafe. Many historians say the name was given to the beach because it was littered with chicken bones, from the fried chicken lunches brought to the beach by beachgoers. Some feel there are some negative racial undertones behind the name.

Despite the fact that the city only allowed blacks on one beach, the community made Chicken Bone Beach their own, organizing summer events, concerts and other forms of beach and boardwalk entertainment for the beachgoers and visitors. The situation was turned around to become symbolic as African Americans came together to support their culture and heritage, together in one place.

Until 1964, Chicken Bone Beach was the only place for people of color in the city to access the beach. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 declared that all beaches must be open to all races, ending the nearly 70-year beach segregation policy in the city.

The site today is an endangered African American heritage site and in 1997, the council passed an ordinance that made the Missouri Avenue Beach, a historical landmark. The Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation works each year to keep the memories of the site alive by hosting free weekly jazz concerts. The foundation works hard to keep the cultural vibe of the beach alive and to pass that tradition down to younger generations. The foundation was started by Henrietta Shelton in 1974.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.