Atlantic City’s Ralph Hunter envisions new Black history museum in town

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Ralph Hunter has a dream. The 87-year-old Atlantic City resident wants to build a permanent home for the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey.

Hunter has spent decades building the museum’s collection, which tells the story of South Jersey’s Black community. The artifacts now are dispersed between the Noyes Arts Garage in Atlantic City, the Martin Luther King Community Center in Newtonville and a warehouse storage.

Hunter said it is time for the collection to have a permanent home, and he wants it to be in Atlantic City.

“Atlantic City was built on the backs of people who looked like me,” Hunter said. “People came here 163 years ago and built on the Northside. My dream is to build a new museum on the Northside, about 20,000 square feet, and turn it into something really historic.”

The history of African Americans in New Jersey

African Americans moved to New Jersey in larger numbers during the “Great Migration” of the early 1900s. Many of them relocated to the Garden State for better economic opportunities and to escape the Jim Crow laws of the South. New Jersey, particularly South Jersey, was a major route for the Underground Railroad before the Civil War. Harriet Tubman often worked in Cape May and Philadelphia, to raise funds for her missions to rescue enslaved people in the Southern states.

New Jersey did not formally end slavery until Jan. 23, 1866, eight months after the end of the Civil War. It was the last Northern state to do so, according to the New Jersey Historical Commission. But the Black community continued to face segregation. When Atlantic City took off as a resort town, many of its white hotel owners complained about Black people vacationing on beaches in front of their resorts. Up until the 1960s, Black tourists and residents found themselves restricted to the Chicken Bone Beach or Missouri Avenue Beach area in front of Boardwalk Hall.

The location became a hot spot for Black celebrities such as boxer Joe Louis, Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, Dorothy Dandridge and even Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., according to Penn State Harrisburg.

Hunter’s passion for Black history and Atlantic City’s Northside neighborhood comes in part from educating the public about how members of the Black community excelled in the city. They were occupying positions in the hospitality industry, the medical field, law enforcement agencies and the entertainment business.

The Black entertainment district along Kentucky Avenue drew nationally known acts such as Ella Fitzgerald and Sammy Davis Jr., particularly at its hub, the Harlem Club. Hunter talks excitedly about Kentucky Avenue and how it rivaled Harlem’s famed Cotton Club and other cities that welcomed African Americans at the time.

“He’s the reason we have so much information [about Black history in South Jersey] today,” said Don Guardian, New Jersey assemblyman and former Atlantic City mayor. “A lot of this history would have been lost without him. With Ralph, those memories will be passed on and he’s done it in such a positive, warm and inviting way that no one would be bored going into one of his presentations.”

Hunter’s vision for the museum

Local leaders and Hunter’s family and friends have all been aware of Hunter’s passion to create the museum. The city recently recognized his efforts and contributions in documenting and preserving Black history.

In June, Guardian presented a city proclamation to Hunter celebrating June 24 as “Ralph Hunter Day.” Muralist Heather Deegan Hires, who included Hunter in one of her recent murals, described him as the “Energizer Bunny” of African American history in South Jersey. Guardian said Hunter has never been shy about asking for support and that he will continue to work toward his vision.

In his acceptance speech at the “Ralph Hunter Day” celebrations, Hunter made a full-throated pitch for the museum.

“Those who want to support the African American Museum, we need you badly,” he told the gathering, which included Guardian, current Mayor Marty Small Sr. and Kaleem Shabazz, vice president of city council. “Help any way you can. Next year is also our 25th anniversary. We’re looking for committee members.”

Shabazz called Hunter a “hero” for saving Black history in South Jersey. Deegan Hires called him a “walking encyclopedia” for his ability to rattle those facts off effortlessly.

Hunter’s plan is to first raise the money to determine the value of his collections in the two museums and artifacts that he has stored in a warehouse. The price tag to get that done is $100,000, he said.

Hunter said he will be knocking at the doors of his supporters to raise funds.

“I know how to beg,” he said.

His friends and family said slowing down has never been his strong suit.

“He’s been the life of the party all of his life,” said Adrienne Hunter, Hunter’s daughter. “It’s been quite a journey. It’s long been his dream and love. He raised his children and now he’s living out his dream. I’m so happy for him. It’s amazing.”

“When he sets out to do something, he won’t sleep until it’s completed,” Adrienne Hunter said.