The Rise of Black Beaches

During the Jim Crow era, Black Americans faced severe discrimination and limited access to public spaces. In response, Black elites established private beaches as a refuge from segregation.

One such beach was Highland Beach, founded in 1893 by Charles Douglass, son of abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Located on the Chesapeake Bay, Highland Beach became a haven for prominent Black Americans, including poet Paul Laurence Dunbar and civil rights leaders W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington.

Strategies for Preserving Highland Beach

To protect Highland Beach from encroachment by white developers, its owners employed creative legal strategies. Charles Douglass purchased the land from a Black family, circumventing racial covenants that prevented the sale of property to people of color. Later, his son incorporated Highland as a self-governing municipality.

Despite these measures, accusations arose of misappropriated funds and scare tactics to keep out trespassers. However, these tactics ultimately preserved the community’s exclusivity.

Other Black Beaches on the Western Shore

Highland Beach’s exclusivity led to the establishment of other Black beaches on Maryland’s Western Shore. Carr’s Beach and Sparrow’s Beach, opened in the 1920s and 1930s, were less exclusive than Highland and Venice Beach. They hosted public concerts featuring performers traveling on the “Chitlin’ Circuit,” a series of venues that welcomed Black audiences and performers.

Limited Recreation Options for Urban Black Residents

While Black beaches provided a refuge for the elite, recreation options for Black urbanites were scarce. White-only swimming beaches opened in Washington, D.C., but Black swimmers were often excluded.

The only public beach open to Black swimmers in Washington was Anacostia Park, but its facilities were limited and multiple Black children drowned while swimming in the Anacostia River.

Decline of Black Beaches

With the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Black people began visiting desegregated, formerly white-only establishments. Many Black beaches declined in popularity and were eventually bought out by white developers.

Today, the few Black beaches that remain tend to cater to more elite, privileged Black communities, who have the resources to protect and preserve their communities.

Preserving the Chesapeake Bay’s Black History

In recent years, efforts have been made to document and preserve the Chesapeake Bay’s Black historical sites.

The Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation preserves artifacts representing local Black Americans’ roles in the maritime and seafood industries. The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Chesapeake Mapping Initiative identifies and maps Black historical sites for land conservation.

Other projects aim to preserve the intangible aspects of the Chesapeake’s Black history. The Anacostia Community Museum’s Urban Waterways program explores the Washington community’s connection to the Anacostia River and highlights the work of activists working to improve public health by restoring the river.

These efforts recognize the ongoing legacy of Black people living and loving these spaces, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and preserving the diverse ways that people have engaged with the Chesapeake Bay over time.