West Side Community Center

The West Side Community Center was incorporated in 1942 as a nonprofit organization. It developed as a result of the efforts of the Asbury Park Urban League (founded 1934) and the Urban League of Monmouth County (founded 1938) to meet social welfare needs of Black people in Monmouth County. Prior to the inception of the League, and its efforts, the W.P.A. and county government were largely unresponsive to Black unemployment and poverty. Recreation was part of the overall social welfare program of the Leagues as racial discrimination resulted in other facilities being closed to Blacks. The West Side Community Center is the successor to recreational centers established by the League in Asbury Park.