In the vacation spot, Black people were able to truly feel like citizens by owning real estate. Free from segregation and the horrors of being a Black person in America, they could swim, ride horses and be entertained without facing racism and bigotry.
But after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed, Black Eden’s popularity declined.
Marilyn Atkins, a resident with familial ties to Idlewild, told NBC News that “integration did a lot of damage” to the area.
She continued, “And my mother used to say that when integration came, Black people deserted Idlewild because then other places opened up and we could go anyplace.” Atkins recalled her mother getting upset remembering people leaving the community.
When she was just 9 years old, Atkins built a cottage with her father in Idlewild and said she traveled to the vacation home every summer.
Now, she has passed on that tradition to her daughter and grandson.
Atkins’ granddaughter, Elizabeth, is a third-generation Idlewilder who said the community gives her “a tremendous source of pride and it anchors us in our history and culture.” She feels an embrace of joy and freedom when she is in the beach town.
Despite Atkins and others pushing to rebuild Idlewild, there aren’t as many homeowners and tourists as there used to be in the historic vacation spot.
However, in the last few years, Evans and Matous and other members of the community have been encouraging Black families to buy homes and establish roots in the town.
The couple, who run a travel campaign called Experience Idlewild, have been hosting year-round events to increase tourism.
“There’s really been a rediscovery of Idlewild by a lot of younger folks,” Evans shared. “And so some younger folks are thinking about what would it mean to reinvent that for the next few generations.”
Some students have also been helping restore the Flamingo Club, a place where some of the biggest names in entertainment would stop by and perform.
Matous praised the Black ancestors who built Black Eden as “entrepreneurs” and “founders.”
“They laid the ground for us and now it’s time for us to take the baton to help carry this on,” she said.
Ariana Brockington
Ariana Brockington is a digital reporter for TODAY based in Los Angeles. She is a Northwestern University graduate who reports on entertainment news, pop culture and more.