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 km2	44.59
Population total	38,497
Population as of	2020
Population density km2	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, New Jersey, famed for its Boardwalk, casinos, and beaches. In the context of the US Civil Rights Movement, it gained national significance as the site of the pivotal 1964 Democratic National Convention, which highlighted deep party divisions over civil rights, and the 1968 Miss America protest, a landmark event for the feminist movement and women's liberation.

History and Early Development

Founded in 1854 as a resort destination, Atlantic City's early growth was fueled by its easy access via railroad from Philadelphia and New York City. The construction of the Boardwalk in 1870 cemented its status as "America's Playground." The city's economy was historically driven by tourism and hospitality, attracting visitors from across the Northeastern United States. However, this development occurred within the rigid racial segregation of the Jim Crow era. While the city offered employment opportunities in service industries, African Americans were largely confined to menial jobs and segregated neighborhoods, such as the Northside. Early civil rights efforts in the city focused on challenging segregation in public accommodations and employment discrimination.

Role in the 1964 Democratic National Convention

Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall was the stage for the 1964 Democratic National Convention, a defining moment for the Civil Rights Act. The convention is most remembered for the credential challenge mounted by the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), led by figures like Fannie Lou Hamer and Bob Moses. The MFDP sought to replace the all-white, segregationist official Mississippi Democratic Party delegation. Fannie Lou Hamer's televised testimony before the Credentials Committee about the brutal violence she endured for attempting to vote galvanized national support. Although a compromise offered by party leaders, including President Lyndon B. Johnson and Hubert Humphrey, was rejected by the MFDP as insufficient, the challenge successfully forced the Democratic Party to adopt a stronger anti-discrimination stance for future conventions, influencing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The Miss America Protest of 1968

On September 7, 1968, feminist activists from New York Radical Women converged on the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City. Organized by Robin Morgan and Carol Hanisch, the protest critiqued the pageant as a symbol of the objectification of women and oppressive beauty standards. While no undergarments were burned—a myth that originated from this event—activists symbolically tossed items like high heels, curlers, and bras into a "Freedom Trash Can." They also crowned a sheep as Miss America and unfurled banners inside the hall. This highly publicized event, covered by major media like The New York Times, is widely considered the birth of the public, media-savvy second-wave feminism in the United States, linking the struggle for gender equality with the broader ethos of 1960s social movements.

Economic and Social Conditions in the 20th Century

Atlantic City's mid-20th century was marked by economic decline as air travel made other destinations more accessible. Post-World War II white flight and deindustrialization exacerbated urban decay and concentrated poverty, particularly in Black neighborhoods. These conditions set the stage for the 1964 convention protests, as economic marginalization paralleled political disenfranchisement. The passage of the New Jersey Casino Control Act in 1976, which legalized casino gambling, was promoted as an urban renewal project. While it brought massive investment and construction, notably by companies like Resorts International, the promised broad-based prosperity largely failed to materialize for long-time residents. Studies, including those by the NAACP, showed that casino jobs often did not reach the city's minority populations, perpetuating economic disparities.

Civil Rights and Local Activism

Beyond the national events, Atlantic City had a sustained local civil rights struggle. The city's NAACP chapter, led by activists like Dr. E. Alma Flagg, was active in challenging segregation at the Steel Pier and other Boardwalk establishments through lawsuits and protests. The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) also organized in the city. In the 1960s, activists targeted employment discrimination in the lucrative hospitality industry. Following the casino boom, organizations like the Black Ministers Council of Atlantic City and the Atlantic City Chapter of the NAACP fought for equitable hiring and contracting practices through agreements with casino operators. These efforts were part of a longer arc of activism addressing both de jure and de facto segregation in housing, education, and policing.

Legacy and Modern Significance

Atlantic City's legacy in the US Civil Rights Movement is dual-faceted: as a stage for national political upheaval and as a community with its own protracted fight for equality. The city remains a symbol of both the promise and pitfalls of urban renewal. The historic events at Boardwalk Hall and on the Boardwalk are commemorated by historical markers and are studied as key episodes in American political and social history. Modern advocacy continues to focus on economic justice, voting rights, and addressing the socioeconomic impacts of the casino industry. The city's experience underscores how tourist destinations, often associated with stark racial and economic divides, became critical battlegrounds for civil rights, women's rights, and labor rights, influencing national policy and social movement strategy.