Atlantic Beach, nicknamed “The Black Pearl” for its rich history and African-American owned businesses, is located in Horry County (pronounced OH-ree) in the northeast corner of South Carolina. Though it was conceived as a result of segregationist laws, Atlantic Beach flourished as a thriving African-American vacation spot and as a nucleus for the surrounding communities of Crescent Beach, Windy Hill, Ocean Drive, and Cherry Grove that would later become part of North Myrtle Beach. Today, those living in the Black Pearl strive to preserve and communicate the distinctive history of this African-American enclave and the Gullah-Geechee culture that has shaped it.

For more, read this article:  Atlantic Beach: Historic African-American Enclave in South Carolina | National Trust for Historic Preservation