Atlantic City, New Jersey

Atlantic City, New Jersey
Bruce Emmerling · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Atlantic City
Settlement type	City
Nickname	"AC", "America's Playground"
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	New Jersey
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	Atlantic County
Established title	Founded
Established date	1854
Government type	Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council)
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Marty Small Sr.
Area total sq mi	10.76
Population total	38,497
Population as of	2020
Population density sq mi	auto
Timezone	Eastern (EST)
Utc offset	-5
Timezone DST	EDT
Utc offset DST	-4
Coordinates	39, 21, 45, N...
Postal code type	ZIP Codes
Postal code	08401–08406
Area code	609
Blank name	FIPS code
Blank info	34-02080
Blank1 name	GNIS feature ID
Blank1 info	0885145
Website	www.cityofatlanticcity.org

Atlantic City, New Jersey. Atlantic City, New Jersey, is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, famed for its iconic Boardwalk, casinos, and beaches. While primarily known as a major tourist destination, the city holds a significant, though often overlooked, place in the narrative of the US Civil Rights Movement. It served as a critical stage for pivotal political and social protests in the mid-20th century, including the 1964 Democratic National Convention and the 1968 Miss America protest, which highlighted deep national divisions over civil rights and gender equality.

History and Early Development

Founded in 1854 as a resort town, Atlantic City's early growth was fueled by its accessibility via the Camden and Atlantic Railroad and its promotion as a healthful seaside escape. The construction of the Boardwalk in 1870 cemented its status as "America's Playground," attracting tourists from Philadelphia and New York City. The city's economy was historically built on tourism and hospitality, but this development was marked by significant racial segregation. African American residents, who had been a part of the community since its founding, often worked in service roles for the hotels and entertainment venues but faced discrimination in housing, public accommodations, and economic opportunity. This created a foundation of inequality that would later become a flashpoint for civil rights activism.

The 1964 Democratic National Convention and Civil Rights Protests

Atlantic City was the host city for the 1964 Democratic National Convention, where President Lyndon B. Johnson was nominated for a full term. The convention, however, was dominated by a major challenge from the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP). Led by figures like Fannie Lou Hamer and Ella Baker, the MFDP challenged the seating of the all-white, segregationist official Mississippi Democratic Party delegation. Hamer's televised testimony before the Credentials Committee about the brutal violence she endured for attempting to vote galvanized national support for the civil rights cause. Although the MFDP was offered a compromise of two at-large seats, which they rejected, their protest in Atlantic City was a strategic masterstroke that brought immense pressure on the national party and was instrumental in the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Miss America Protests and Feminist Activism

Four years later, Atlantic City's Boardwalk was again the site of a landmark protest. On September 7, 1968, the New York Radical Women group, including activists Robin Morgan and Carol Hanisch, organized a demonstration against the Miss America pageant. Protesters crowned a sheep, threw symbols of female oppression like bras and high heels into a "Freedom Trash Can," and unveiled a banner reading "Women's Liberation." While no undergarments were actually burned, leading to the myth of "bra-burning," the event successfully critiqued the pageant's objectification of women and its narrow racial standards—the first Miss Black America pageant was held nearby in response. This protest marked a significant moment for the feminist movement and second-wave feminism, using Atlantic City's national stage to challenge traditional gender roles.

Urban Change and Economic Disparities

The latter half of the 20th century saw Atlantic City's fortunes decline with the rise of air travel and competing destinations. In a bid for economic revival, New Jersey voters approved casino gambling in 1976, and the first casino, Resorts International, opened in 1978. While the casino industry created jobs, the promised widespread urban renewal largely failed to materialize. Sharp economic disparities persisted and often widened, with gleaming casino resorts standing in stark contrast to impoverished neighborhoods just blocks away. This economic divide had a clear racial dimension, affecting the city's predominantly African American and Hispanic communities. Issues of police brutality, inadequate housing, and limited economic mobility continued to fuel local civil rights advocacy.

Notable Figures and Civil Rights Organizations

Several key figures and organizations are tied to Atlantic City's civil rights history. Fannie Lou Hamer's powerful testimony there remains iconic. Local activism was sustained by chapters of the NAACP and the National Urban League. Civil rights leader and labor organizer A. Philip Randolph had connections to the city's service worker struggles. Later, the Atlantic City Council and mayors like James L. Usry, who in 1984 became one of the first African American mayors of a major northeastern resort city, worked within the political system to address inequality. Religious leaders from local churches also played crucial roles in organizing community responses to economic and social injustice.

Legacy and Commemoration

Atlantic City's legacy within the broader US Civil Rights Movement is that of a strategic protest site where national attention could be captured. The city's monuments and memory, however, are overwhelmingly oriented toward its entertainment history. Efforts to formally commemorate the 1964 MFDP challenge or the 1968 feminist protests have been limited, though they are noted in historical markers and scholarly works. The city's ongoing struggles with economic inequality, crime, and recovery from the impacts of Hurricane Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism continue to reflect the unresolved social justice issues first highlighted there during the 1960s. Understanding Atlantic City's role provides a more nuanced view of how the fight for civil rights and equality unfolded not just in the South but in northern urban centers as well.

Category:Atlantic City, New Jersey Category:Cities in New Jersey Category:Cities in Atlantic County, New Jersey Category:Resort towns in New Jersey Category:Populated coastal places in New Jersey