Two weeks ago, I had considerable difficulty falling asleep. As I twisted and turned, my thoughts turned to some of the fun-filled activities in which I engaged during the hot summer months in the past. I thought about trips to Woodside and Willow Grove Amusement Parks, family bus excursions to Coney Island and outings and cookouts in Fairmount Park. I recalled trips to Fairmount Park in which my father and I carried gallon jugs to secure drinking water from the springs. Other thoughts included trips to Shibe Park to watch Jackie Robinson play baseball; swimming at Gustine Lake and Kelly Pool; and in later life, trips to the 61st Street Drive-In movies and drives to Georges Hill for “adult-related activity.” Then there were trips to the gymnasium of Bright Hope Baptist Church where there were unforgettable shootouts between Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and former U.S. Sen. Bill “Dollar Bill” Bradley; they set the Baker League on fire with some of their legendary battles.
As my mind pondered other events of past summers, a most memorable and fun-filled event came to mind. If you were around during these times, you know that the place to go, be seen and have monumental fun was Omega by the Sea, back in the day.
I am a proud life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., initiated into the Beta Sigma Chapter in 1960 on the campus of what is now Delaware State University. But I know that the men of Alpha Phi Alpha, Phi Beta Sigma, and Iota Phi Theta Fraternities, Inc., and the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta and Sigma Gamma Rho Sororities, Inc., join with me and my Kappa brothers in acknowledging and saluting the men of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. for creating Omega by the Sea where we had major fun.
Readers of my column are aware of my concern about our failure to document our history, such was the case in writing this column. The Nigerian Proverb that I often quote rang out loud and clear: “Until the lions have their own storytellers, the tale of the hunt will always favor the hunters.” Thus, as I met various individuals and asked if they had participated in or had memories of this event, before giving a response each gave a broad smile. Unfortunately, no one was able to dig into the weeds and provide background regarding the origin of Omega by the Sea. So I sought friends that are Omega men, and while initially having no success acquiring information relevant to this focus, I eventually spoke with a Que and church member, Erwin Washington, the owner of Essence Studio in Philadelphia. With “Wash,” I hit the jackpot! He put me in touch with Clarence Boseman who has been involved with Omega by the Sea since back in the day and who provided more information than I have space to include in this column.
According to Boseman, Omega by the Sea grew out of the Beta Gamma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. on the campus of Cheyney University. Many Omega men had summer jobs in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and at some point members from places such as Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who had never been to Atlantic City were invited to the shore. Thus, the partying began. The Omegas, with good entrepreneurial skills, were able to raise monies through T-shirt sales, dances and other adventures that provided seed monies to come together for many fun activities. This coming together ultimately blossomed into Omega by the Sea, which started in 1957, took place over several days the weekend after Fourth of July, and the gathering place was the infamous “Chicken Bone Beach,” located in the beach area at Missouri Avenue. Why this name, you may ask? According to several internet documents, due to issues with segregation, Blacks carried their own food items to the beach in shoeboxes and paper bags and a few chicken bones were left in the sand.
The role that Omegas with summer jobs played in establishing Omega by the Sea is consistent with a story shared with me by a close friend that grew up in Atlantic City, a member of Iota Phi Theta. This friend observed first-hand the birth of Omega by the Sea. I heard many wild and interesting stories about travel to Atlantic City and accommodations. One friend told me about one of his travels to Omega by the Sea with four friends squeezing in a Red Triumph, TR-2 Convertible sports car, stopping at a liquor store once they crossed the Benjamin Franklin Bridge to purchase several bottles of Thunderbird Wine, arriving in Atlantic City too late to honor their rooming house reservations and were forced to sleep on the beach that night. Many slept in their automobiles when hotels or rooming houses were not available or unaffordable. There were numerous stories of how one person secured a room in a rooming house, and then 10 or more people spent the night. Another friend told me that he and several friends rented a room but failed to pay up front, as required. When they returned from partying most of the evening, their room was locked and all of their belongings were out on the porch. I also learned that the YMCA was another favorite for those spending the night during the weekend while others stayed in homes owned by relatives and friends in the area.
There was so much fun participating in a peaceful environment without mayhem until some serious party-goers borrowed the family automobile and drove home each night so that they would not miss any of the fun. All of the fun did not take place on the beach, cabarets and dances were initially held at Soldier House and eventually the ballroom of the Traymore Hotel. A close friend told me that while the cabarets and dances were so dark one could hardly see, they were still the place to be seen, particularly since the young ladies, “the lookers,” attended in abundance, back in the day. No memory of Omega by the Sea can ignore the clubs and restaurants that were integral to Black life in Atlantic City. These clubs were “jumping” during these times and were in the area of Kentucky and Artic Avenues, or what many residents called “KY and the Curb.” They included such establishments as Club Harlem, Little Belmont, Wonder Garden, 500 Club, Timbuktu and Silk Hat. As for food and refreshments, Kelly’s was the place that many went for their hoagies.
So what happened to Omega by the Sea as it existed back in the ‘60s? In 1968, Omega by the Sea saw its decline. According to those that were significantly involved with the event, they contend that the white power structure became fed up with 20,000-30,000 Black men and women descending on Atlantic City on a given weekend, causing whites to turn away from visiting the city. Yet, the life and spirit of Omega by the Sea has been kept alive by strong supporters, such as Clarence Boseman, by holding a memorial service on Chicken Bone Beach every five years with the last being held on July 15 of this year. At this event, participants, about a dozen, enjoyed hamburgers, hot dogs, sodas, water, and “milk and cookies.” The number of participants gets smaller as the longevity of past participants as the years take its toll. The names of all known deceased participants are read aloud while a shot of al alcohol is poured into the sand.
Many of us are moving into the fourth quarter of our lives and we do not, and more importantly, cannot, do and enjoy many of the things that we once did. Thus our fun-filled moments are becoming lessened or coming to an end. So, I am offering a suggestion to my Omega friends that could add excitement to the dull experiences that many of us experience today. I have little doubt that a future gathering reminiscent of Omega by the Sea would resurrect memories that we once enjoyed. If held, I will volunteer to bring the last bottle of Thunderbird on my home bar, as it is no longer sold. Others may want to contribute a bottle of Tiger Rose, MM 22 (Mad Dog) or Boone’s Farm Wines that would enable this gathering to closely resemble, Omega by the Sea, as it was back in the day.
